Not So Innocent
by eternallyedward
Summary: Bella's been chasing after her best friend's brother for years. When she gets what she's always wanted, will it be enough for either of them?
1. Chapter 1

**This started out as a flash for The Lemonade Stand's Flashfic Friday. I kept thinking about it, and the original flashfic has grown..and grown...and grown. I couldn't get it out of my head, and I am very impatient so I'm posting it unbetaed. Please forgive any mistakes.**

**Sadly, I own nothing Twilight-related.**

**...**

I stumbled into my room, not bothering to turn on the light. "What the fuck..."

There was a girl in my bed.

I wasn't so drunk that I didn't know I'd come home alone. Taking a few steps closer, her long, dark hair and pale skin told me all I needed to know. _Shit_.

Alice's friend Bella had always had a rather obvious crush on me, and she wasn't shy about letting me know. She was beautiful, but there was no way I was tapping that. It could only cause problems. I thought when I left for college she'd move on, but three years later she was still following me around like a puppy every time I came home. Finding her in my bed at two a.m. was not encouraging. I sighed.

The sheet was pulled up over her shoulders. I shook her gently. "Hey, Bella, wake up. You've got to go back to Alice's room."

No response.

When I had no luck waking her up after several tries, I resorted to an old trick my mom used to use on me when she couldn't get my lazy ass out of bed. I ripped the blankets back, leaving her—

—in a motherfucking skimpy black bra and thong.

Her eyes popped open. A big smile spread across her pouty pink lips. "Hey, Edward. I'm glad you decided to come home for spring break."

Damn. She'd grown up.

She sat up and patted the space beside her with a smile.

I should've tossed her my bathrobe. I should have left and gone downstairs to sleep on the sofa. But my cock liked what it was seeing, and this girl had been teasing me for a fucking long time.

_At least now she's legal_. I groaned at the thought. Was I even entertaining the idea of doing this?

**...**

Alice and Bella had been best friends almost from the moment they met. Bella had moved to Forks when she was eleven, and my sister was quick to befriend the pretty, shy new girl.

At first Bella had been almost painfully shy around me. She would make an abrupt about-face if she walked into a room and I happened to be in it. The way she blushed—man, I'd never seen anyone turn red from head to toe so fast. I found it kind funny, and a great ego-boost at fourteen. Still, I wasn't really interested in getting to know the mousy eleven-year-old. I had my friends and baseball to keep me busy, and when I wasn't involved with them I was discovering the charms of girls my own age. Bella was just a kid with a silly crush.

Alice knew how Bella felt about me. I think she felt kind of sorry for her, getting so wound up over someone who barely noticed her. In front of me, of course, Alice was protective of her friend. Knowing how flustered Bella got in my presence, Alice would chase me out of the room if they were watching movies or having a snack and I dared to intrude. Of course, being a little teenaged prick, I walked in on them as often as possible just to feel that sense of power as Bella would flush and stammer and look anywhere but at me.

One night in particular stood out in my mind. I'd been out running with my two best friends, Emmett and Jasper, and we came back to the house sweaty and desperately in need of showers. I could hear Alice and Bella in the family room, watching some dopey show on the Disney channel. Knowing that Jasper himself had a bit of a crush on Alice, I waved Emmett and him forward as I pulled my shirt over my head and marched into the family room.

I plopped down on the sectional right next to Bella. She'd been holding a bowl of popcorn, which went flying as she made this little squeaking noise and jumped, flailing her arms. Her eyes were fixed on my chest, wide and shocked. My mother didn't appreciate me parading around the house without a shirt, so I rarely did it, but I just had to be an asshole and get a rise out of Bella. I'm sure it was simply the idea that I was only half-dressed, and not the sight of my scrawny pubescent body, that riled up Bella. But it got a reaction, and that was good enough for me. If only I'd known.

Bella remained somewhat aloof, though not as shy, until she turned fourteen. Something kicked in then; suddenly it became okay to openly ogle me and giggle when I walked into a room, rather than run away. Frankly, I was surprised her little crush hadn't run its course, but by now Bella was a fixture at our house so I was used to the sound of her laughter and her eyes following me as I went about my business. It didn't bother me. I figured Bella would soon find a boyfriend her own age and forget about me. _Well._..

By the time Bella was fifteen she had gotten rather...brazen in her flirting. When she slept over she'd find a way to flaunt whatever tiny pajamas she was wearing in front of me. "Oh! Hi, Edward! I didn't know you'd be home tonight..." _Uh-huh. Sure she didn't._

I don't think she realized what a predicament this created for me. Bella was a beautiful girl. She'd filled out, with small but perfect-looking breasts and a slim body. As far as I knew, she didn't date. I'd never heard Alice mention a boyfriend, even though most girls her age had experimented with kissing and touching at parties or whatever. I really don't think she knew just how, ahem, _hard s_he made things for me. Seeing her in tiny boy-shorts and a tank, batting those big brown eyes and giggling, usually left me trapped behind the kitchen island or whatever waist-high piece of furniture happened to be nearest, pitching a tent and wishing she'd go away and stop being such a cock-tease.

It was a relief when I went off to college in the fall. I forgot about Bella and her crush as I immersed myself in campus life; going to parties, hooking up and, of course, staying on top of my coursework. Much to my consternation, when I went home for Thanksgiving I was greeted at the door by Bella. Jumping into my arms, she rubbed her body up against mine, purring, "How's school going, Edward?"

I did my best to avoid her that weekend and actually left early to go back to school. Mom and dad were disappointed, but the situation with Bella was becoming uncomfortable in more ways than one.

When I went home for Christmas, I brought what I was sure would be to Bella what garlic is to a vampire—a girlfriend. Lauren was from Port Angeles, so we'd have Christmas Eve with my family and then go to hers on Christmas Day. I felt a little evil as I imagined Bella's face falling when she saw Lauren walk in with me. But, hey, if it meant not walking around all week trying to hide a boner, I was fine with being evil. At least if I got a boner with Lauren, she took care of it for me.

Once again I had underestimated Bella. When Lauren and I arrived, Bella looked right through her and ran into my arms, squeezing me and telling me how great it was to see me again. The night before Christmas Eve, Lauren and I were watching a movie in the family room. Mom and Dad had gone to a Christmas party, and Alice and the ever-present Bella were in Alice's room. We watched the movie for all of ten minutes before we were making out, Lauren's hand massaging my cock over my pants while I unbuttoned her shirt to get at her tits.

"Oops!" The light flicked on, and there was Bella, staring at us with a smirk. "This is the _family_ room, Edward," she chided, staring unabashed at my very obvious erection.

I had had just about enough of her teasing and, now, cock-blocking. "What—what are you doing?" I sputtered, pulling the afghan off the back of the sectional and throwing it over my lap.

"Alice snores. I couldn't sleep, so I came down to see what was on the tv."

My frustration was reaching epic levels. "Alice has a tv in her room!" I practically shouted.

Bella smiled innocently. Or not. "I didn't want to wake her."

With that I dragged Lauren up to my room to get some much-needed relief.

Things continued on like that pretty much every time I went home. Instead of finding someone else, Bella was fixated on me and becoming more shameless in her pursuit of me. I wondered what would she would do if my resolve faltered and I gave her what she, and, if I was being honest, I now wanted.

I wasn't sure, but it looked like I was going to find out tonight.

**...**

* * *

I sat on the edge of the bed and swallowed hard. "Bella...what are you doing here, huh? You're playing a dangerous game, little girl. You're lucky I'm a good guy and not some asshole who'd take advantage of you. You can't sneak into a guy's bed, wearing"—I waved my hand at her—"_that _and expect that a guy's not gonna go for it, you know? God, Bella, you're going to college next fall. Promise me you won't do this shit, okay? Don't be a cock-tease."

Bella stopped my drunken rambling by leaning forward, her delicious tits almost spilling out of that little bra, and pressing a finger to my lips. "Edward—I don't want anyone at college, so you don't have to worry about me doing this for anyone else. _I want you_. It's not being a cock-tease if I intend to follow through, right?"

I closed my eyes in frustration, feeling like I was between a rock and a very, very, almost painfully hard place. I couldn't do this—could I? What if Alice and my parents found out? I'd be the jackass, the bad guy who couldn't keep it in his pants.

"Bella—ˮ

Bella looked hurt. In a small voice, she asked, "Don't you want me, Edward? I've wanted you for...for as long as I've known you. I know I was too young for you then, but I'm eighteen now."

I sighed, plowing my hands through my hair. "Have you ever had a boyfriend, Bella? I know you give great tease, but what kind of experience do you have with guys?"

She smirked. _Was this funny to her? I wasn't finding it very funny_.

"Worried about corrupting me, Edward? I know all I need to know. I want my experiences to be with _you, _just you. I think it's good to know what you want, don't you?"

I was becoming more sober by the minute, yet here I was, still contemplating doing this with her. What exactly was this, anyway? Would she be satisfied with making out, a little groping? I was sure she'd never had a guy go down on her, or given a blowjob. Did she want that? Or did she want it all, want me to take her clothes off, use my mouth and fingers to make her come and then fuck her?

Just thinking about it made my balls ache. _Fuck_. I couldn't be Bella's first. She should give that to someone cared for her, not that I didn't, but...being a girl's first came with responsibilities, unless you were a complete douche. You didn't take a girl's virginity and just act as if nothing had happened the next day.

"If...if we do anything, what are your expectations, Bella? What do you want from me?" There it was. I was really considering this, and Bella knew it.

Her eyes lit up with hope and desire. "I want everything, Edward. I want to kiss you, touch you, be touched by you." She looked me right in the eyes as she continued. "Have sex with you. I want you, in every way."

Trying to appear nonchalant, she continued. "I want tonight. If, after tonight, we want to continue, we will. If not, then..."

I allowed myself to believe that she would be okay with just tonight, if that's all this ended up being. I'd be doing her a favor, really. I would be patient, kind, caring; take my time and make sure she came. I'd give her the best possible experience, when a lot of girls had horrible first times. I'd teach her anything she wanted to know. It was a good deal for her, right?

_Right, asshole_. _And a great one for you._

I couldn't deny that it would, indeed, be a great deal for me. It had been a while since I'd gotten any. There was no question that I wanted Bella—she was gorgeous, sweet and mine for the taking. It thrilled me to think that her firsts would all be with me. I'd never been with a virgin, so that made me a bit nervous, but I was confident enough in my abilities to know that I'd take care of her.

I was so doing this.

"Okay, but I have some terms."

…

**Please let me know what you think! I know where I want this to go and it won't be very long— I'm thinking 5-6 chapters, so I'm hoping to be able to update soon.**

**Please review—you have no idea how much it means, even if it's just a few words:)**

**I'm looking for an experienced beta to work with me on this and other stories. If you're interested please let me know. I need someone to slap my hand when I start throwing commas and ellipses around;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Glad people seem to be enjoying this:) Unbetaed.**

**I still own nothing related to Twilight.**

**...**

Bella's eyes narrowed. "Terms? What do you mean, terms?"

"I mean, if we're going to do this, I want to do it right. I'm not going to cram everything into one night, Bella. No way. Alice is sleeping right down the hall—what if she wakes up and goes looking for you? Not to mention, it's already two thirty in the morning. I'm not going to give you a quick fuck for your first time."

"So what do you propose?" Bella looked skeptical.

"Look, I'm home all week. Let's do this over a couple of days. I'll work out the where and the when. This is fucked up enough, Bella. I won't do some wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am for your first time. Let me take care of you and show you what it _should_ be like when you find someone you want to be with."

An undefinable emotion flickered across her face. I was determined to to make this into a pleasurable, memorable experience for Bella, instead of the somewhat seedy thing that it probably was, if for no other reason than to assuage my own guilt. It was like I had an angel on one shoulder urging me to do the right thing and refuse Bella, and a much more vocal devil on the other shoulder telling me that this was something she wanted, and hadn't I been teased to the point of combustion by this girl?

With an eye-roll and a sigh Bella acquiesced. "So what, are we going to round a different base each night? I want you, Edward, and I know you want me, too. You're not going to over-think this and back out, are you?"

For a virgin, she was one sassy little cock-tease.

I leaned in close, smelling the light, fruity scent of her shampoo. "Oh, I want you, Bella. You've given me blue-balls on more than one occasion, but not this time. I promise you that by the end of the week, we'll both be feeling satisfied. And your virginity will just be a memory."

As I'd hoped, that little speech left Bella wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"So..." I stood, wanting to get out of there before I lost my resolve and crawled in next to the warm, soft, beautiful girl in my bed. "This should actually be pretty simple to, um, organize. My parents are gone all week, and Jasper will be here tomorrow, so Alice will be preoccupied. You're here more often that not anyway, so she won't be suspicious if you stay over a couple of nights. You can even tell her you're going to, uh, hang with me so she and Jas can be alone. Once they're busy doing things I don't want to think about my sister doing, come to my room and we'll...get started." God, that sounded sleazy. I made myself want to take a shower.

As I moved towards the door, Bella called me back.

"Edward? Can't you just kiss me, tonight?"

Christ, this girl. "Um, okay."

Once again I sat on the edge of the bed. Bella's big, brown eyes stared into mine. Her milky skin was covered in goosebumps, and she was trembling a little.

"Hey. We don't have to do anything." I ran my index finger down along her jawline, and her eyes fluttered closed.

"No, I—I want to, Edward. It just that I've wanted this—_you_—for so long, and now I'm finally going to have you."

She seemed truly excited at the prospect of 'having me'. Who was I to deny her?

Cupping my hand around the back of her neck, I pulled her closer as I moved towards her, licking my lips. She copied me, and a second later our mouths met. I took her top lip gently between mine, prompting her to make the sexiest sound in her throat. I flicked my tongue against her lips and she moaned, opening enough for me to slip it inside. Her hands flew to my hair as she continued making the hottest little mewling noises.Judging by the way she followed my lead I was pretty sure I was her first kiss, and the thought made me fucking crazy. _Imagine all the other firsts..._

Panting loudly I came to my senses and backed away, running a hand through my hair. "Okay, I think that's enough for tonight. I'm going to sleep downstairs. You can stay here."

After pressing a kiss to her forehead I turned to go. "Oh—do you have something else to wear? You'll have a hard time explaining that—ˮ I gestured to the dead fucking sexy black lace getup she had on—"to Alice."

Nodding, Bella pointed to a small pile of clothing in the corner. Had I rendered her speechless?

"Okay. Well, good-night, Bella."

"Good-night, Edward. And thank you."

As much as I felt like I should be fist-pumping the whole situation, hearing her thank me for what we were about to embark on only served to make me feel shitty. Exactly what had I been thinking when I agreed to this?

…

I wasn't sure whether I should thank my parents or curse them for asking me to come home for spring break. Dad was taking mom on a cruise for their twenty-fifth anniversary, and since the high school had their spring break the same week as mine, he'd asked if I would mind spending it at home with Alice. It made them feel better knowing that Alice wouldn't be alone. Not that she would have been, anyway. She and Jasper had been dating for a year; he'd be back in Forks tomorrow and he and Alice would undoubtedly be holed up in her room for a good part of the week. Which would leave Bella and me lots of free time to do...whatever it was we were doing. The guilt that I kept trying to push away kept me from examining it too closely.

If all went as planned, Bella and I would have our first...meeting? rendezvous? tryst?...tomorrow night. I wanted her to feel comfortable and to trust that I had the situation under control and would take care of her. I did something I'd never really bothered doing before for a girl and cleaned my room, washing the sheets and making the bed. I bought condoms, even though I didn't anticipate needing them just yet, and a small bottle of lube, just in case.

I wanted to get to know Bella as more than my sister's best friend and the girl who'd been chasing after me for years. I figured I'd order takeout and we could watch a movie until Alice and Jasper went up to her room. When Bella was ready, I'd take her upstairs and we'd see where things went. I would lead, but I wasn't going to push.

…

Alice and Jasper were all over each other the minute we got back from the bus station. I smirked, amazed at how easy it would be to get Bella alone in my room. We likely wouldn't even have to pretend to be 'hanging out'; from the looks of things, Alice and Jasper would be busy for the rest of the day and night.

The four of us ordered takeout later in the evening. I saw Bella with new eyes as she talked and laughed with my sister and Jasper. She was sweet and funny, not the pesty, annoyingly flirty girl who shadowed me with determination that I'd come to know.

Sure enough, Alice and Jasper disappeared quickly after dinner, not even bothering to make excuses. Jasper winked, laughed and said, "Have fun, kids."

We all knew what they were going to be doing. They had no idea what Bella and I would be up to, though.

We waited for about half an hour before heading upstairs. Once inside my room, I locked the door and turned to see Bella looking around with a small smile. She'd noticed my efforts. In addition to cleaning and making the bed I'd placed one of my mother's pillar candles on the night table and brought up a couple bottles of water.

I stepped up beside her and gently massaged her shoulders. "Hi."

Her voice was low and breathy. "Hi."

"I want you to promise me, Bella, that if you want to stop at any time or don't like something we do, you'll tell me immediately. I won't be upset. In fact, if you decide you want to call the whole thing off that's okay, too. I need you to be honest with me."

Of course, I would fucking hate it if Bella called things off now, or God forbid, at some point further down the line. But I wasn't the type who would ever pressure a girl into doing things. I wanted my women eager and willing, and Bella had certainly presented herself as such, even if she seemed a little nervous now.

"Okay, Edward. I promise."

"Good. Thank you." I kissed her nose, and then a horrible, ball-shriveling thought popped into my head.

"Where does Charlie think you are tonight, Bella?" Bella's dad was the Chief of Police, and as such he often worked long hours, including nights. He knew and trusted my parents and was glad that Bella had a safe place to stay when he wasn't around.

She smiled and shyly ran her finger along my hairline and down my sideburn. "His deputy's wife had a baby, so he's working some extra hours to cover for him. He's working the overnight tonight, and probably a few other nights this week and next. He knows I'm here."

Okay, this was good. As long as we got Bella downstairs and on the couch, where she would ostensibly be sleeping, before Alice was up, we were fine. No one would be the wiser. Normally Bella slept in Alice's room, but with Jasper here...yeah. The couch it was.

I blew out a breath, relieved. "Okay, I think we're covered. I'm going to set the alarm on my phone in case we fall asleep. You need to be downstairs when Alice and Jasper emerge from their love bubble."

Bella giggled. "Okay." Her face turned serious. "As long as I get to spend most of the night with you."

I smiled, oddly touched by her open eagerness to be with me. "Okay, well. We should get comfortable, I guess. Um, do you want to go into the bathroom to change, or...?"

"No, it's okay. I can change here." She gestured to her small overnight bag.

I shrugged. "Okay."

As I unbuttoned my shirt I glanced at Bella. She stood there, blushing and watching me, then turned her back and lifted her sweater over her head. Seeing that she was a little uncomfortable I turned, too, and undressed down to my grey boxer briefs. I walked over to my dresser and fiddled with the loose change and miscellaneous crap that littered the top of it to give her a little more time, then lit the pillar candle.

When I finally turned around she was just pulling a pretty pale aqua tank over her head. The matching boy-shorts stopped just short of the curve of her ass and were trimmed in lace. I walked towards her, expecting her to turn, but she didn't. I reached out and ran my hands up and down her arms, moving down to her hands and entwining our fingers after a few passes. I could feel her body slowly relax from its stiff posture.

"You're so beautiful, Bella." I wasn't just feeding her some lame line, because I meant it. She really was beautiful.

"Thank you."

I moved my hand up to brush her long, chestnut hair off her shoulder. Leaning down, I whispered, "Can I kiss you?"

She turned in my arms then, looking up into my eyes. "Yes. Please, Edward."

I could feel myself hardening, and I groaned inwardly. _Please don't say please every time I ask permission to touch you. _There was something so hot about a woman pleading to be kissed, touched, fucked...if Bella kept that up it was going to be really goddamned hard to go slow. And going slow was the plan.

"Come here." I led her to my bed and gently eased us both down until we were lying on our sides, facing one another. Brushing her hair back off her face I leaned in and pressed light, teasing kisses all over her mouth. Bella moaned quietly and when she got fed up with my teasing she tentatively opened her mouth and ran her tongue along my upper lip. I immediately opened up to her, letting her explore and figure out what felt good. It didn't take long for kissing to turn into a full-on make-out session, with Bella's body pressed up against mine. She jerked back for a moment when she felt my hard-on, but quickly moved back and hooked her leg over my hip, gasping when she rolled her hips against me.

"That's it, baby. Does that feel good?" I took her moan as a yes.

Slowly I let my hand drift towards her breast. Using the tip of my finger I traced around and around it, only moving in towards the nipple when Bella pushed her chest into my hand.

"Bella, can I kiss you here?" I squeezed her breast for clarification.

She broke our kiss to nod her head. I pushed her gently on to her back, positioning myself alongside her. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

I tickled her belly lightly, making her giggle breathlessly, then slid my fingers under the hem of her tank and began pushing it up. When I reached the underside of her breast I paused, then slowly revealed her perfect, round little tits. Groaning, I lowered my head and sucked one of her deep pink nipples into my mouth.

Bella's hands were buried in my hair, holding me in place. Not that I was going anywhere. I was perfectly happy right where I was, in tit heaven.

Bella's leg brushed against my cock and I sucked air through my teeth. I was desperate to be touched, to come, but it was too soon. Reluctantly I left Bella's chest and flopped onto my back beside her. When she looked at me with concern, I grinned. "Sorry. I have to cool down a little or it's going to be all over. For me, at least."

She nodded and timidly put her hand on my chest, as if she were afraid I would stop her. She dragged her fingers through the hair there, then slowly made her way down my abdomen. I covered her hand with mine when she got to the waistband of my boxers.

"Not that I don't want you to touch me, but let's just catch our breath for a minute, yeah?"

As we lay there my mind was replaying the scenario that had gotten us here in the first place. "Bella, the other night, when I came home and you were in my bed—that took balls. The way you were dressed, your confidence...what made you do it? How did you know I wouldn't kick you out of my room or call Alice to come and get you?"

She blushed. I loved the way the color infused her cheeks, then her neck and chest.

She spoke so quietly I had to pull her closer to hear. Yep, that's it. She was practically on top of me because I was having trouble hearing her.

"I'd been crushing on you for so long, Edward. The last couple years, it was more than just thinking you were cute, it was more of a total attraction. I know I made a pest of myself, but I felt like I had to do something to get your attention, like I _ached_ for you to notice me. I guess I made a fool out of myself, but I didn't care. I wanted you to see me as more than your little sister's best friend.

"Alice told me you were coming home this week, and I knew Charlie would be working a lot, so...it just seemed like the perfect time. It kind of came together at the last minute. When you went out on Friday night, I got the idea to wait for you. And—ˮ she looked at me with trepidation—"I had some help. With getting ready, and, um, moral support, I guess."

Okay, now I was confused. "What do you mean, help?"

Looking into my eyes, Bella whispered, "Alice knows what we're doing, Edward. She, uh, encouraged me to 'go after what I wanted', in her words."

_Fuck._

**...**

**Thanks for reading:) Please leave a review—just a few words are greatly appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sadly, I don't own Edward Cullen, or even Mike Newton (yuck). Actually I don't own a single thing related to Twilight.**

"Alice knows? She knows about you waiting for me in my bed, and...the rest of it?" This was not happy news.

Bella's eyes were glassy, like she was going to cry. Shit, shit, shit.

"Bella, I'm not mad. But you should have told me. If I hadn't brought it up, would you have said anything?" Her silence told me all I needed to know.

I sighed. "Okay, if Alice know, Jasper knows. I guess that's what the 'have fun' comment was about. Christ, I will never hear the end of this."

"Edward, are you embarrassed to be with me? Is it because I'm younger, or because I'm a virgin—ˮ

Like I didn't feel like enough of a creep. I had to set her straight. "No! I'm not embarrassed at all, Bella. You're a beautiful, sexy woman and frankly, I have no idea why you want to give it all up to me. You can see why I don't think it's a great idea for people to know about this, right? If my parents found out, my father would have my head. To be honest, I'm shocked Alice didn't try to rip me a new one and warn me off before things got this far."

Curling her hand around my shoulder, Bella snuggled into my chest. "Please don't be angry. Alice is my best friend. I've always talked to her about you, even though I'm sure she got sick of hearing it. I couldn't go behind her back, sneak out and do what I did without talking to her. It would have been like using her to get to you. It wouldn't have been right."

Earnestly she looked into my eyes. "She's been great, Edward. She'll cover for me if Charlie calls. She won't give you a hard time."

Well, I knew that wasn't true, but I kept quiet. If Alice wanted to give me shit about Bella, I guess I'd have to sit there and take it.

"Okay. I'm glad you have someone to confide in. Just brace yourself for the comments we're gonna get tomorrow." I knew girls liked to talk about shit like this. I just wished it hadn't been with my sister.

Bella's eyes lit up. "Does this mean I don't have to sleep on the couch?"

"I guess it does, pretty girl. Now, please don't mention my sister's name again. Come here and kiss me."

**...**

Alice forgotten, we got back to the business at hand. Literally.

After getting my fill of Bella's perky tits, I ran my fingers down Bella's side and along the waistband of her shorts. When her hips began bucking up into my hand, I slowly peeled them off. I was pleased to see that she had a neat triangle of hair between her legs.

"Is that okay?" Bella asked in a hesitant voice.

What could she possibly be talking about? Everything I could see was more than okay. "Hmm?"

"This." She gestured to the area between her legs. "Is it okay? Alice said some guys like it bare—ˮ

I winced at the mention of my sister in a conversation about Bella's pubic hair. "Ah, ah, ah...no mention of _her_ again, please. And it's just fine, baby. I'm not interested in women who look like ten-year-olds down there." Actually, I had been with a few, and it really didn't bother me. But I was glad Bella hadn't opted for the porn-star look.

With an evil smirk, I leaned in, brushing my nose along the shell Bella's ear. "You have the prettiest, pinkest pussy, Bella. Everything about you is pretty."

As intended, the dirty talk got Bella's pulse racing. I could hear her breathing pick up. "Do you want me to touch you here, Bella?"

"Oh, yes, Edward..." She was squirming, rubbing her thighs together.

I rubbed my index and middle fingers along her wet slit, loving her breathy moans and little gasps. When I slid my fingers up to massage her clit, her back bowed off the bed and she grabbed my wrist.

"It's so intense," she whispered between panting breaths.

"I know, baby. Do you want me to—ˮ

"No! Don't stop. Just go slow."

I resumed rubbing her, using a lighter touch. Within minutes she was squeezing her eyes shut and crying out.

Watching Bella come made my already hard dick throb. I reached down and palmed myself, trying to calm down.

Once Bella had recovered, she grabbed my face and pulled me to her for a kiss. "Thank you."

She glanced down and saw my problem. Her hand slid over the top of mine, and she shyly met my eyes.

"I want to touch you."

Knowing that Bella had probably never seen a penis in the flesh, so to speak, let alone touched one, I removed my boxer briefs. I stroked myself a little first, and then showed Bella how to wrap her hand around me and stroke just the way I liked.

Her hand was warm and soft and felt so fucking good. "You can squeeze harder."

She did, and it was perfection. Sooner than I would have liked, I warned her that I was about to lose it. She kept stroking until her hand and my belly were sticky with come.

"Fuck, Bella. You're a fast learner." I smiled and winked at her, enjoying the way she flushed at my praise.

I used my boxers to clean up while Bella ran into the bathroom to wash her hands. I grabbed another pair and put them on; it didn't seem wise to sleep naked with Bella in my bed. It would be too easy to get carried away.

Bella returned and slipped in beside me, tank and boy shorts back on, immediately curling up against my side. We kissed lazily, both of us satisfied and sleepy after the night's events. I kissed the top of her head. "Tonight was amazing. Good night, Bella."

With a smile and a whispered "good night", Bella soon drifted off. I lay awake a while longer, wondering what what happen when this week was over.

…

It was...different waking up with a warm body next to mine. At school I never had a date sleep over. Most of my 'dates' were hookups, casual, short-term affairs for the purpose of scratching an itch. I wasn't what I'd call a manwhore, and I wasn't averse to having a more serious relationship. At this point I just didn't have the time; although I supposed when I found someone who really interested me, I'd make the time. I treated the women I dated with respect and was always honest. I never understood guys who'd say anything to get in a girl's pants, and then not get it when the girl wanted more than they were willing to give. Being upfront and clear about the fact that I was looking for something casual kept things from getting complicated. There were plenty of women who were looking for the exact same thing.

I wasn't sure Bella was one of them, though. Yeah, she'd said she'd have been happy with one night—which was turning into the better part of a week—but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if that was true. Was she going to be okay with it if her years-long crush culminated in her losing her virginity to me, and nothing more?

With no chance of getting back to sleep now, I gently moved Bella's arm from around my stomach and sat up. Bella stirred sleepily, peering at me through half-closed eyes.

"Hey, sleepy girl. It's early. Stay in bed, I'm gonna go downstairs and make some coffee. I'll be back."

I pecked her cheek, and she smiled and mumbled " 'kay," before rolling onto her stomach. I hoped she'd sleep a while longer. I needed to talk to Alice.

**...**

I was sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee and picking at a danish when Alice and Jasper came downstairs a short while later. Jasper's raised eyebrow and smirk told me he was about to make a comment, but I shot him a look that shut him up. "Alice, can I talk to you for a minute?"

She looked at me questioningly. "Sure. Jas, would you grab my robe? It's kind of chilly down here."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I know when I'm being kicked out. Come and get me when you're done."

Alice sat, resting her chin on her hands. "What's up?"

"I know you know about Bella. And me. What we're doing."

Alice's face gave nothing away. "Don't be mad at her, Edward. She needed someone to talk to. You know you both can trust me."

This, I did know. Growing up Alice and I had always had each other's backs. Alice wasn't the type who'd save something like this to use against me at a later time.

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, I'm not mad, for Christ's sake. Surprised, yes. I'd have thought you'd be warning me off if I gave even the slightest hint that I wanted Bella. But no, here you are helping her seduce me. There is something...not right about that."

"Well, I'd have warned you off if you went after her for a quick fuck. But I know that you've steered clear of her because of her age and the fact that she's my friend. I know you had no intention of starting anything with Bella. _She_ wanted this. Has wanted it for a long time. I tried to look at it as if you were just another guy and not my brother, because...eww. Anyway, I knew she wanted this and as her friend, I encouraged her to go for it. Why not? I didn't think I had the right to discourage her. Did you interfere when Jasper and I started dating? No. Has it changed anything between the two of you? No."

"No. But that's—that's different. I knew Jasper wanted a relationship with you and he knew that I'd kick his ass if he hurt you."

Alice sighed. "Edward. I know you like to act like a cocky jerk, and you might be a bit of a slut, but I'm your sister and I know you're a good guy, despite your efforts not to show it. Do you think I'd have told Bella to go for it if I thought you'd be an ass to her? I know that Mom and Dad raised you to treat women with respect. You've never made Bella feel bad because of her crush on you. I know that, whatever happens between the two of you, you'll treat her right. The way you'd want a guy to treat me."

Ah, Alice. Way to slip in a little guilt trip there._ And thanks very much for the slut comment._

"Alice, exactly what is going through Bella's head? I mean, I'm not such an asshole that I think she's madly in love with me or something, but what has she said to you about, um, what's happening between us? What she wants from me?"

Alice paused, giving me an appraising look. "Well, what do you think she wants? What do you want? You had to know going into this that you couldn't just sleep with Bella and then go about your business like it never happened. What's the plan after the week is over? You go back to college, Bella goes back to school. Summer will be here soon. Have you talked about it with her?"

Clearly Alice gave me more credit than I deserved. "Uh, not really. I mean, she told me she'd be happy with just one night, but..."

Alice gave me an incredulous look. "And you believed that? You figured that you were just so amazing and such a great lay that if Bella wanted a night with you, it was your duty to give it to her? Like you'd be doing her a favor? Jesus, Edward! I take back every nice thing I just said about you!"

Hearing it laid out like that, it sounded bad. Really fucking bad. Had I thought that, even a little? I mean, she had been throwing herself at me for years. As much as I hated to admit it, yeah, I had felt like I was only giving Bella what she'd wanted for a long time. _Like I was doing her a favor. _I hadn't thought about whether she might get hurt, whether she'd regret it. I'd been completely selfish. Seeing myself in that light made my stomach turn.

I grabbed fistfuls of my hair, eyes closed as I wondered if I had made a huge mistake. "Why did you let her come to me, Alice? As her best friend, why did you encourage her to do it?"

She looked at me like I was the biggest moron she'd ever seen. "Because I thought that maybe you'd only been avoiding her because of the age difference. Because you were in college, and she was still in high school. I thought that since those things didn't matter any more, you'd look at her differently. I thought maybe she had a chance at getting what she wanted all these years. I thought you would see her as more than an easy lay. _That's_ why I encouraged her, Edward. Not so she could say she'd had the privilege of sleeping with you and getting her heart broken, you dick.

"You'd better figure out what you're doing, Edward. Bella isn't the kind of girl who does casual hookups, despite what she might have told you. She's never even dated. She's been completely infatuated with you. How did you manage to convince yourself that she'd be happy hooking up for a week and then boom, done, time to move on?"

That was an excellent question. Unfortunately, I suspected the answer was, 'I'm an arrogant, clueless prick, that's how.'

Alice didn't get a chance to berate me further, because Bella came downstairs and into the kitchen. She'd pulled on sweatpants and a hoodie, but I could see the lace from her tank peeking out a bit, reminding me of last night.

Bella smiled shyly and leaned against the counter opposite from where I was sitting. We were awkward around one another outside of my bedroom, unsure how to act.

"Morning, sunshine." Alice smiled and hugged Bella. "Well, I should go get Jas and see what he wants to do today. See you in a bit." She shot me a disapproving glare as she went upstairs.

Despite my misgivings about our situation, I went over to Bella and wrapped my arms around her from behind, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm, until you left. The bed was cold without you; I missed you." Her admission only served to make me feel worse.

"Well, what would you like to do today, hmm?" I thought we could see a movie, or maybe stay home, order takeout and find something to watch on one of the eight million cable channels my parents paid for. Yeah, a lazy day at home sounded like a plan.

"Um, what do you mean?" Bella flushed, her eyes wide. "You want to do something now? I'll leave it up to you, I don't really know—ˮ

Oh, God. She thought I meant something sexual, like I was mapping out the day's sexual explorations.

"I mean I want to spend time with you, Bella. Let's just spend the day at home getting to know one another a little more, okay? We can watch t.v., play games, whatever you want. Maybe go for a walk later? We'll just hang out."

Her face relaxed into a shy smile. "Okay. That sounds good. Maybe I'll bake some brownies later."

She was going to bake for me, too? Gah.

**...**

Alice and Jasper decided to go to the mall and do some shopping. Well, Alice decided that. Jasper just went along with it because he was whipped. They asked if we were interested in meeting up later at some party but we declined. We would have the house to ourselves.

I'd known Bella for years, of course, but only as Alice's friend. I'd never really hung out with them or taken the time to really know her, especially with the whole crush thing. I really tried not to encourage it. But now, as Alice had reminded me, there was no reason to avoid Bella. Yes, I'd already gotten tangled up in this whole mess but what if I did decide I wanted something with Bella beyond this week? I had a year left at UDub, and then probably graduate school. Next year Bella would also be at UDub, so that could work, if we were together at that point. After that—well, I was getting way ahead of myself. Was I contemplating a relationship with Bella? Did she even want that? I'd see how things worked out this week and take it from there.

Spending time with Bella that didn't involve some kind of sexual activity turned out to be easy and fun. She had a sweet, low-key personality and a great sense of humor. We liked a lot of the same movies—we'd settled on The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus—and Bella confessed to being a huge fan of Terry Gilliam's films. I was surprised and pleased to find that she enjoyed eclectic and cult films much more than the typical blockbusters or romantic comedies.

Curled up on the plush sectional with Bella, sharing Chinese food, watching one of my favorite movies with a girl who really appreciated it and wasn't just humoring me—this was probably one of the best 'dates' I'd ever had. It was comfortable and I wasn't mentally counting down the minutes until we could be done with the niceties and move things to the bedroom. I was truly enjoying Bella's company. Plus, she smelled amazing and was so soft and warm, snuggled up to my side. And she made me brownies. I could get used to this.

Throughout the movie we kissed a little, but that was all. My arm was slung around Bella's body, and her hand rested on my stomach. By the time the movie ended, Bella was rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Wanna head upstairs?"

"Yeah. If you want to stay—ˮ

"Nope, I'm coming, too. Let's go." With that I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder, her ass in the air. Instantly, she was awake, shrieking and batting at me.

I laughed as she carried on all the way to my room. Once we were inside, I dropped her on the bed and crawled over her, caging her in with my body. Her breathing picked up and she stared at me, wide-eyed.

I kissed her, then pulled back. "Let's just sleep tonight, okay? No need to rush things."

She twined her fingers in my hair, gently rubbing my scalp. "Okay."

Reluctantly, I got up to brush my teeth and stripped down to my boxers. When I came out of the bathroom, Bella had already changed into a grey tank and panties. As she passed me going into the bathroom, I pulled her flush against me and whispered, "Don't take too long."

Soon she joined me under the covers. As tempting as she was, I meant what I'd said—I just wanted to hold her and sleep tonight. I was still mulling over what Alice had said to me, and now, more than ever, I didn't want this to be just about the sex. Whatever the outcome, I hoped Bella would be able to look back on it and not feel regret.

After a few slow, intense kisses, I moved behind Bella, spooning her with my arm wrapped loosely around her waist. I was half-hard from kissing her and moved my hips back a little, but she insistently closed the space between us.

"Um, are you okay, going to sleep like that?" I'd bet if I could see it, her face would be red. Still, I found her concern endearing.

"I'm fine, Bella. This is perfect." I kissed her ear. " 'Night."

"Good-night, Edward."

**...**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Twilight isn't mine. No copyright infringement is intended-just a little smutty fun;)**

…

It was actually quite pleasant waking up to a warm, female body wrapped around mine. We'd fallen asleep spooning, but Bella had turned during the night and now her face was pressed against my chest.

I rolled onto my back to keep my morning wood from digging into her belly, and she mumbled an incoherent protest, scooting close to my side and wrapping her arm around my middle. I groaned inwardly as her hand slowly made its way down my abdomen, settling over the bulge in my boxers.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to wake her. Suddenly I heard a muffled giggle, and my eyes flew open to see Bella struggling to contain her laughter.

"Morning. Did you think I was doing that in my sleep?" Her smile was mischievous.

"I did until I heard you laugh, naughty girl." I eyed her sternly, all the while loving this playful side of her.

"I could, um, help you out with that," she whispered, obviously feeling bold this morning.

"Oh, yeah? What if I had something else in mind for this morning? What if you're messing with my plans, hmm? Maybe you need a spanking." I had no intention of doing it; I just wanted to see her reaction.

She didn't disappoint. Her breathing got fast and loud; her eyes were wide. I jumped up and situated myself between her legs, pushing them wide apart.

She gasped at my sudden move. I stopped what I was doing. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. What are you going to do?" There was uncertainty in her voice.

"I'll only do what you want me to do, Bella. I'm sorry if I scared you. I was just kidding about spanking you."

"Oh..." She still looked a little unsure.

"I promise, I only want to make you feel good. Lie back and close your eyes." She did, although I could see how rapidly her chest was rising and falling. I began kissing the insides of her knees, making my way up her thighs. I drew the silky skin of her inner thigh into my mouth, sucking lightly. Bella made a strangled noise and her hips bucked up towards my mouth.

I ran my nose along the center of her panties, breathing her in. I moaned, wanting her in every way possible.

"Can I take these off?ˮ I tugged on her panties. At her nod, I slid them off and held her thighs apart, blowing lightly on her pussy. The sensation made Bella instinctively try to close her legs.

"No, baby. Keep them open. If you don't like what I'm doing, tell me to stop, okay?" Before she could answer I took a long, slow lick up her slit. _Oh, God_.

This wasn't something I did a lot. For me, it was simply too intimate an act to engage in with casual partners. I had no such qualms with Bella, though. Her desperate little noises, her taste, the way she'd propped her foot on my shoulder, opening herself up further...it all made me fucking crazy, like I never wanted to come up for air. I needed to see her come like this.

I concentrated my efforts on her clit and gently pushed my finger inside. She squirmed a bit, but as I stroked and licked her moans came faster and louder until I felt her clench around my finger. Her thighs tensed and I looked up to see her eyes tightly closed, lips parted as she panted through her orgasm.

I kissed and licked her inner thighs as she came down. She reached down to comb her fingers through my sweaty hair, smiling and blushing as our eyes met. I moved up to lie beside her.

"I love your blush," I whispered, causing the pink in her cheeks to deepen. "It makes you seem so...innocent."

She snorted and rolled her eyes, making me laugh. "Okay, not _so_ innocent I suppose, but it's true, Bella. I don't mean it to sound like some old pervert. It's refreshing. You're sweet and open and just...you. You don't try to be something you're not."

"Except when I ambushed you in your bed like some kind of bad porno. Gah." She hid her face under the pillow.

"Hey. Don't be embarrassed—I know it took a lot for you to do that, and I'm glad you did. Although you kind of scared the hell out of me."

She peeked out. "_I_ scared _you_? In what way?"

"I felt like I shouldn't even consider doing what you were asking, for so many reasons. But seeing you there, so beautiful..." I hadn't even untangled my emotions and thoughts on the subject enough to know how I really felt, and I found it impossible to explain it to Bella. So I left it hanging there and kissed her.

When we came up for air, I had a question. "So, was that okay? I didn't hurt you when I touched you, did I?"

Bella looked into my eyes, and what I saw there both thrilled and terrified me. "It was amazing. I—I didn't expect you to do that, I guess. It was a little weird, at first, but—ˮ her voice trailed off into a whisper—"it felt so good. And no, you didn't hurt me. I've, um, touched myself before."

_Fuuuck._ Like I wasn't achingly hard already. Images of Bella touching herself flooded my brain. Did she think of me when she she slid her fingers in—

_Knock knock knock_

An insistent pounding on my bedroom door jolted me back to reality. My heart skipped a beat, despite knowing that it could only be Jasper or Alice. The illicit nature of what we were doing had made me paranoid.

"Wake up, you lazy things. Breakfast is served!" Alice's footsteps faded away as she ran down the stairs.

Glancing at my phone I saw that it was eight thirty. As much as I hated to leave the bed, especially with a hard-on, Alice would be back if we didn't appear downstairs. I crushed Bella to me, sucking on her neck lightly. I knew I couldn't leave a mark, though part of me wanted nothing more. "I bet whatever Alice has whipped up isn't half as good as _you_ were," I whispered huskily. I laughed at Bella's red face as I got up to head for the shower to wash and take care of my problem.

…

Jasper smirked as Bella and I walked into the kitchen. "Well, here come the loveb—ˮ I shot him a look and he shut up. I chose to ignore his asinine comment.

As we enjoyed the banana pancakes Alice had made, she told us that Emmett and his girlfriend Rosalie would be coming over tonight to hang out.

She eyed Bella and me. "Is that okay with the two of you? I mean they don't have to know what's going on with you, but if you're uncomfortable—ˮ

I wasn't even sure what was going on with Bella and me at this point, and I damn sure didn't want to try and explain it to Emmett. He'd be worse than Jasper with the smart-ass commentary. "No, that's fine with me. Bella?"

She looked at me in surprise. "Um, it's fine with me."

So that was settled. We'd all be hanging out tonight, and Bella and I would have to act like there was nothing unusual going on between us. Piece of cake.

…

Jasper had picked out some dvds, Alice had ordered pizza and Bella was making a double batch of what I'd come to think of as _my_ brownies. I sidled up next to her, pushing her hair away from her neck to kiss it. She shivered. "You're okay with this, right? If anyone asks questions or says anything to you—ˮ

Her smile was forced. "Don't worry, Edward. I won't tell anyone. I'll deny it, if anyone asks."

Damn it. She thought I was embarrassed about being with her. "Bella, that's—ˮ

Just then Emmett burst into the kitchen and I jumped away from Bella. "Edward, what's up, man? Hey, Bella! You move in here yet, or what? Does Charlie remember what you look like?"

Bella rolled her eyes at his antics, and they joked and chatted for a few minutes. It occurred to me that my friends had grown up around Bella, too, but they'd had a far easier relationship with her than I had. Her crush had always made me keep my distance. After all these years, I was just getting to know the real Bella.

Emmett insisted on watching The Fast and The Furious Number Twenty-Nine or something like that. Bella caught my eye and mimed putting a gun to her head and I stifled a laugh, recalling our shared disdain for such mainstream dreck. Emmett had brought beer, and although Bella was only eighteen, I didn't feel I had the right to tell her she couldn't drink, especially when Alice grabbed one. She wouldn't be driving and I knew she wasn't the type to get completely smashed, so I didn't say anything when she grabbed a bottle.

What I didn't know was that Bella had never really drunk before, not even beer. So, after a bottle and a half, Bella had pretty much forgotten that we were supposed to be keeping our new, undefined status under wraps for the time being. After she'd rubbed my thigh for the third time, I got up and escaped to the kitchen.

While I rinsed out the empty bottles,willing my semi to go away, Emmett walked in. "Dude, what is going on with you and Bella? Are you finally tapping that? You know she's always been hot for you."

I had barely opened my mouth to protest when he exclaimed, "Holy shit! You are. I need details, man."

With a sigh, I swore him to secrecy and gave him a somewhat sanitized version of the truth. "Look, Em, I don't know, I just realized that Bella's all grown up, you know? She beautiful, and sweet and funny and I just want to spend some time with her and see if there's anything there, you know? Don't say anything; I don't want to embarrass her or make her self-conscious. Nothing's happened yet."

So, I had lied about nothing having happened. But the rest of it was pretty much exactly what I was feeling. I _was_ getting to know Bella. I already knew there was something there; the question was, what was I going to do about it?

I was pretty sure Emmett bought it. We went back to the family room, where Bella was dozing on one of the armchairs. I longed to carry her upstairs and put her to bed, crawl in next to her and fall asleep with our bodies wrapped around one another.

Finally, at twelve-thirty, Emmett and Rose decide to call it a night. As they left, he winked and high-fived me like the big kid he was. After they'd gone Alice pulled me aside. "Does he know?"

"No. I told him we were just spending some time together, that's all."

She eyed me speculatively. "Is that all that's going on?"

I leaned my head against the wall, running a hand through my hair. "Fuck, Alice, I don't know. No, I mean, Bella's amazing. She's pretty perfect, actually. Does she really want...more with me? Wouldn't she like to play the field, go out and have fun? There will be guys all over her next year at UDub." The thought of her playing the field made me feel like throwing up, actually. I'd want to strangle any fucker who put a hand on Bella.

"The two of you need to talk. Soon. Don't take my word for it; ask her exactly what she wants. Figure out what you want. I think you already know." She smiled. "You're a smart guy, Edward—when you're not thinking with your dick. If you let her go and regret it, you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

I would talk to Bella about what would happen after the week was over. Not tonight, but I would do it. Soon.

…

Bella was yawning and stretching when I got back to the family room. I knelt in front of her. "Hey, sleepy girl. Time for bed. Can you walk, or shall I carry you cave-man style again?"

That got her up. "I'll walk!"

"You know you loved it." I swatted her ass as she ran past me.

We entered my room together, and Bella flicked off the light switch I had turned on, leaving us in darkness. Her hands settled on my hips, and she stood on tiptoes to whisper in my ear. "I want to, um, repay the favor from this morning."

Jesus Christ. Was she saying what I thought she was saying? "Bella, you don't have to do that. It's late, and you've been drinking. Let's just go to bed, okay?" It killed me to say those words, but I didn't want to be an asshole.

"Edward, I want to. I only had one beer, and that was hours ago. Don't you want me to?"

If only she knew how much I wanted her to. Right now, there were few things I wanted more. As I debated with myself, she began to undo the button fly of my jeans. She could undoubtedly feel how very much I wanted her to do this.

Her fingers brushed my cock as she pulled open my fly and lightly stroked me over my boxers. I wished she hadn't turned off the light; if she was going to do this, I wanted to watch.

"Bella. Let's do this on the bed. Do you mind if I light the candle? I want to see you."

"Okay." We were standing next to my bed. Bella pushed my jeans and boxers down in one motion, leaving my hard cock to slap against my stomach. She pushed on my chest, and I sat on the edge of the bed, kicking off my bunched-up jeans.

I pulled my T-shirt over my head and threw it to the side while Bella undressed down to her bra and panties. It was a thrill to see how confident she was becoming.

She knelt before me and I groaned at the image. She wasn't even doing anything yet, and I felt like I could come at any second.

She smiled up at me, but I could tell she was nervous. She grasped my cock and gave it a few slow strokes, then leaned forward and ran her tongue along the underside.

"Shit!" I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath, or this was going to be embarrassing.

"Show me," Bella whispered. "Show me what you like."

"Fuck, you're doing just fine, Bella. Just take it in your mouth and move up and down, do what feels good to you. It'll feel great for me, don't worry."

She followed my instruction, and I moaned as I was engulfed by the wet warmth of her mouth. As she moved up and down my shaft she used more suction, and it was heavenly. I wove my fingers through her hair, not controlling her movements but gently helping her to set the pace.

"Use your tongue, baby... that's it."

Damn, Bella was a quick study. She didn't take me all the way in, but used her hand to stroke in time with her sucking.

Then she did something that surprised me, and tipped me over the edge. Reaching down, she massaged my balls, and I immediately felt the tightening in my groin that signaled my approaching orgasm.

I grasped her shoulder, pushing her back a little. I didn't want her to get an unexpected and unpleasant surprise.

"What's—ˮ

I fell back on the bed, coming all over my stomach. I lay there, panting, as Bella scooted up next to me.

"You didn't have to move. I would've...you know." She handed me the T-shirt I'd flung off and I cleaned myself up.

Her inability to say it out loud was both amusing and endearing. "I wanted to give you the choice, but when you touched my balls I barely had time to warn you."

Nuzzling her neck, I whispered, "How'd you know to do that, hmm? Did you know that would drive me fucking crazy?"

She giggled. "I watched videos. For, um, pointers. I didn't want to ask Alice."

Thank God. I doubted Alice wanted to give blow-job tips that would be put to use on her brother any more than I wanted to be the recipient of said tips. Eww.

"Well, that was incredible. Thank you." I kissed her deeply, something I'd never really liked doing after receiving a blow-job. With Bella, somehow I didn't mind.

With Bella, a lot of things were different. I felt a level of comfort and intimacy that I hadn't felt with other women. I felt protective of her.

I thought that maybe I'd found someone worth making time for.

**...**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Soooo...this isn't going to wrap up in five chapters. Sorry if that disappoints you;) I definitely see it coming in under ten, though. Hope you are still enjoying!**

**I still own nothing related to Twilight :(**

Today was Wednesday. Bella was going home to see Charlie and to get some schoolwork done. I had some reading to do for a couple of classes, so it worked for me, but as I slogged through my psychology textbooks my mind kept wandering back to Bella.

She was sweet, funny, and smart. We had similar tastes in movies and music. Conversation with her was easy, and often took unexpected turns. My friends knew and loved her. She was like a daughter to my parents. She was beautiful, and sexually we were compatible, and then some. Oh, and she baked for me.

So, those were the pros of dating Bella. What were the cons? At this point, not many. Her father owned a gun and knew how to use it. I was sure he wouldn't hesitate to do just that if he ever found out what his little girl and I had been doing.

My musings were interrupted by a knock on my door. Alice opened it and poked her head in.

"Hey, I just talked to Bella. She's staying home tonight to spend some time with Charlie. She'll be back sometime tomorrow."

I tried not to show my surprise. "Oh, okay. I'm kind of buried right now anyway."

With an eye-roll Alice closed the door. Well, tonight would suck. I wondered why Bella hadn't called me, then it occurred to me that she didn't have my cell number, and I didn't have hers. Couldn't she have called on the house phone and asked for me? Was I sitting here spending way too much time being paranoid about this? Yes, yes I was. It was probably just natural for her to call Alice. Case closed.

Most of my day was spent reading. Around six my stomach started growling, so I wandered downstairs to figure out dinner. Alice and Jasper were in the kitchen perusing menus.

"Aw, you look so lost, man. Missing your woman?" I wanted to slap the smirk off of Jasper's face.

Did I really look like such a sad-sack, or was Jasper just being a prick? I chose to believe the latter. "If you mean Bella, asshole, she's staying home tonight, as I'm sure you already knew. And don't call her my woman."

I mean, I'd never call a woman "my woman"; that was just wrong. But was she my girl, my girlfriend, my significant other? Fuck if I knew what to call her at this point. We needed to have that talk.

"Any idea what you're doing yet, Edward?"

"I'm working on it, Alice. I'm working on it." Jasper snickered, earning himself a punch in the shoulder. He really was Alice's little bitch. God, I hoped I wouldn't be that whipped.

…

We'd settled on pizza for dinner. Afterwards we went into the family room and started flipping channels, but within fifteen minutes Jasper and Alice had lost interest and were making out. That was my cue to leave. Back in my room, I read for a bit, then halfheartedly watched some porn. The women were all so fake looking, with too much makeup and obviously enhanced breasts. I couldn't help but compare them to Bella. She was naturally pretty and wore little makeup. I loved her breasts. They were on the small side, but fit perfectly in my palms. She had the prettiest pink nipples...

My cock had perked up at the thought of Bella, and I stroked myself as I replayed kissing her, her hands clutching at my hair. I swiped my thumb over the head, my eyes rolling closed, as I thought about going down on her, her gasps and moans as I explored her with my mouth. The image of her on her knees, my cock in her mouth, finally did me in, and with a low groan I spurted all over my stomach and chest.

After a long, hot shower I got in bed. It hit me that, in just a few short days, I had become used to not only having Bella in my bed, but in all aspects of my life. I missed doing all the little, mundane day to day things with her—eating meals together, watching bad TV or a favorite movie, hanging out with our friends. I missed her.

I rolled over in my too-large, too-cold bed, wishing I could sleep so morning would come and with it, Bella.

**...**

"Stop moping. She'll be here in the afternoon." Alice rolled her eyes as she set a plate with a bagel on it in front of me.

"I'm not moping. I'm tired. I didn't sleep well." That earned me a knowing smirk. I ignored it and spread cream cheese on my bagel. Glancing at my phone, I saw that it was only nine thirty. That gave me a few hours to kill before Bella arrived. I had a little more reading to finish. Or, I could mope some more.

Some time later, I opened my bedroom door a crack when I heard giggling coming from downstairs. _Bella. _I ambled into the kitchen and there she was, sitting at the counter with Alice, eating sandwiches and laughing.

Well, that was interesting. She finally turns up and has lunch with my sister without even a hello for me?

She looked up. "Edward, hi." Her cheeks were pink and she looked away quickly.

Deciding to ignore the awkwardness that seemed to descend when we were outside of my room, I grinned and draped my arm across her shoulders. "Hey, Bella. How's Charlie? We missed you last night."

She relaxed a bit and leaned into my arm. "He's good, tired from all the overtime he'd been putting in. I made dinner last night and froze some stuff for him so he doesn't have to subsist on takeout and frozen pizza."

Bella's devotion to her father was sweet. It couldn't have been easy, being sent to live with him as a young girl, but Bella seemed to enjoy making sure Charlie was well taken care of.

"Ah, good, good. So, is the Chief still working nights...?"

Bella giggled. "Actually, he's got a few days off and is going fishing, maybe to the reservation to see Billy. He's, um, glad that I'll be staying here."

So that answered my unspoken question. Bella would be spending the rest of the week here. With me.

Alice stood and brought her dishes to the sink. "Well, I'm going to pick up Jasper. I think we're going to hang out at Emmett's tonight, if you're interested."

I really didn't feel like sharing Bella tonight, or being forced to sit through more awful action movies. "I was planning on staying in tonight, if that's alright with you, Bella?"

She looked surprised at being consulted. "Oh, yeah, that's fine with me. We can hang out here."

Alice smiled. "I figured. Okay, let me know if you change your mind and want to be sociable."

"We won't." I sat down beside Bella and made a sandwich, smiling like a fool at the thought of having Bella all to myself, all night.

…

With Alice gone, the awkwardness quickly dissipated, and the easy rapport that Bella and I had shared returned. It bothered me, though, that she seemed uncomfortable outside of my bedroom and around our friends.

I felt like I'd been cooped up in the house forever, and Bella quickly agreed when I suggested we go for a walk in the woods behind the house. It was a rare sunny day, and fairly mild, so it seemed like the perfect way to pass the afternoon. She smiled shyly when I took her hand as we set out.

After we'd been walking for half an hour or so, we found a small clearing where dappled sunlight filtered down through the leaves, far above our heads. I slowed, and when Bella turned, I pulled her to me. She look at me questioningly.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm really enjoying spending time with you. I guess I always saw you as my kid sister's friend, you know? I never knew that you love the same weird movies I do, or that you could bake kick-ass brownies, or..." _that you were so fucking perfect for me , _"that you had a great sense of humor."

"I like spending time with you, too, Edward. I'm really glad I've had the chance to get to know you better."

I leaned down and kissed her slowly. She stood on her toes and gripped my shoulders, pressing her body against mine. After a moment I pulled away, running my hand through my hair and breathing heavily. "We should start back, I think."

When we got back to the house Bella offered to cook dinner. Together we made linguine with fresh tomato sauce and a salad, and it was incredible. I took a bite and let out an exaggerated moan. Bella's eyes shot to mine, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Jesus, Bella, this is out of this world. I'm going to remember this fondly when I'm back at school next week, eating the slop they serve in the dining hall or takeout."

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than I regretted them. Bella's face fell and she pushed her food around on her plate.

"Hey, what's wrong? I'm sorry, I didn't mean—look, the week's not over, okay? Let's not worry about next week right now. I'm sorry, Bella. This is delicious; let's finish, and then we can do whatever you want."

Her smile was tepid, and I cursed myself for being so stupid. Impulsively I reached out and gave her hand a tug. "Come here."

She let herself be pulled onto my lap. "Thank you for making dinner. I only meant—ˮ

"I know what you meant. It's okay. And you're welcome. I love to cook, it was no big deal."

I dipped my head to nuzzle her neck. She giggled softly, then moaned as I sucked lightly behind her ear. Having a wriggling, moaning girl on my lap was starting to have an effect, and I knew she felt it when her movements became more deliberate.

"Mmm, Edward...let's go upstairs. Please."

"Yeah? You sure you don't want to watch a movie? We could go out and get ice cream."

"Upstairs." She licked the shell of my ear, and that was it. We were going upstairs.

I stood, hooking my arm under Bella's legs to carry her. She clung to me, laughing.

"Do you have a thing for carrying women around, caveman?"

"Nope. Not women in general, just you." It was true. With Bella I was playful. I loved making her smile and laugh. That wasn't usually high on my list of priorities when I was with a woman.

I set her down at the top of the stairs, and pressed her up against the wall, grinning. "Well, we're here. What did you want to do now?"

She moved her hands to my waist, rubbing her thumbs back and forth on the bare skin beneath my t-shirt. Her heavy eyelids and flushed cheeks told me what I needed to know. "I want you, Edward."

Her words sent a bolt of lust right down my spine and into my groin. God, I wanted her. All of her, and not just for this week. But telling her that now would make it sound like I was just sweet-talking her to get her into my bed.

"Bella, are you sure? You can't take this back, you know? I don't want you to regret this."

Stubbornly, she shook her head. "I want this with you. No regrets."

Overcome with affection and desire I bent and captured her lips with mine, moaning into her mouth as we kissed and pawed at one another.

Still kissing, we stumbled and groped our way to my room. Wanting to make this memorable for her, I forced myself to slow down.

"I want to undress you." My fingers were hovering at the hem of her blouse, and at her eager nod I unbuttoned it and dropped it to the floor. I kissed and sucked her collarbones as I worked the button and zipper on her jeans. She stood before me in just a pale pink cotton bra and panties, and I'd never seen anything more beautiful.

Bella stepped closer and ran her hands down my chest and stomach and underneath my t-shirt. Slowly she dragged it up and over my head. She pressed herself against my bare chest, her fingers lingering on the waistband of my jeans. I kissed the top of her head while I undid the clasp on her bra, slipping it out from between us so we were skin to skin.

With a quiet moan Bella immediately began working on the fly of my jeans, pushing them down and looking up in shock when she realized I had nothing on underneath them.

I laughed and pulled her into my body, wanting to run my hands all over her soft curves. She held me tightly, and it occurred to me that she was probably nervous. It was her first time, and for most girls, it wasn't great.

"Hey." I tipped her chin up and pecked her lips. "Let me take care of you, okay? Your first time should be special. I want to make you feel good. Try to relax."

I knew it would probably be painful and she most likely wouldn't have an orgasm, so I was determined to make her feel cherished and give her as much pleasure as possible before we got to the main event.

I wanted her relaxed, so I laid her back on the bed and began kissing her. She deepened the kiss enthusiastically, her fingers digging into my hair and pulling almost hard enough to hurt.

"Ouch, baby...don't pull it out by the roots." I chuckled, rubbing my head ruefully.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry. I got carried away." And there was that beautiful blush.

"Don't be sorry. It's fucking hot. I love seeing you so worked up." Before she could answer, I had my tongue in her mouth and my hand massaging her breast. I kissed my way down her neck and chest and took a nipple in my mouth, sucking hard and making Bella gasp.

I trailed my hand down until I reached the soft hair in between her thighs. Her legs parted as I dipped a finger between her lips, feeling how hot and wet she was already.

"Jesus, Bella, you're soaked." I slid a finger inside, her moans driving me wild. I touched her carefully, noticing her wince when I added a second finger.

"Is it uncomfortable?" I wasn't huge, but I was still bigger than two fingers. I didn't relish the idea of causing Bella pain, even if it couldn't be avoided, and hoped getting her relaxed and ready would help ease her discomfort.

"A little." She smiled weakly. "I know it will hurt, Edward. I can handle it."

"You tell me if you want me to stop, okay?"

Eyes closed, she nodded. Gradually, the tension left her body and her hips began rising to meet my hand. I moved my thumb up to rub her clit, and soon I could feel her clenching around my fingers as she came.

At this point it felt like I'd been hard for hours. Watching Bella's orgasm made me desperate for relief.

I reached into my nightstand and grabbed a condom and the bottle of Astro-Glide I'd bought. I didn't know if it would help, but it couldn't hurt. I sat back and ripped open the condom package.

"Are you ready, Bella? If it gets too uncomfortable, tell me. Please." It killed me to see the adoration in her beautiful brown eyes. Here I was, taking her virginity and causing her pain, and she looked at me like I hung the moon.

"I'm ready. I want you."

I rolled the condom on, my eyes rolling shut as I stroked myself a few times with the lube. Pushing Bella's thighs apart with my knees, I hovered over her, holding myself up on my forearms. She was trembling, and I left open-mouthed kisses along her neck and throat to distract her.

This was it. I lined myself up and pushed, feeling her nails dig into my shoulders as she cried out quietly. I stopped for a moment, hating that I'd hurt her, then pushed in the rest of the way.

Dropping little kisses all over her face, I spoke in a hushed voice. "I'm sorry, so sorry..."

Sniffling a bit, Bella smiled up at me. "It wasn't that bad. You were gentle." She pushed my sweaty hair out of my face.

I kissed her forehead, wanting desperately to tell her that I wanted her to be mine, but knowing it wasn't the right time. I began to move, setting a slow pace, moving carefully until Bella wrapped her legs around my back and moaned. I moved a little faster, going deeper.

"Feeling better?" I whispered, knowing I couldn't hold out much longer. I knew Bella would be tight and warm and perfect, but the emotions that coursed through me were new.

"Yeah..." Her eyes were closed, and her mouth slightly open as she panted.

"Bella, do you think you can come? I'm not gonna last much longer." I reached down to her clit, but she held my wrist.

"I—I don't know. It's okay. I want to see you." Her gaze was intense, and that was what finally pushed me over the edge. With a strangled groan I came, my eyes pinched shut, my head thrown back in ecstasy.

"Sorry, but I have to get rid of this." Gingerly I pulled out and slipped the condom off. I tossed it in the trash can and turned back to Bella, folding her into my arms. Our bodies were warm and slick with sweat. I ran my fingers through her long hair, smoothing it back off her face.

"How do you feel? Are you sore?" I felt the urge to care for Bella, to do whatever I could to ease her discomfort.

There was that sweet, adoring smile again. "I feel good. A little sore, nothing major. That was...thank you for making it special. It was exactly what I'd hoped for, Edward."

I pecked her lips. "You are special."

"Take a shower with me." I rained kisses all over her face and neck. "You don't have to do a thing. I'll wash you; I'll even wash your hair. You'll feel better."

With a shy smile, she agreed.

I felt sticky and gross, and I was sure Bella did, too. There was no ulterior motive; I truly wanted to pamper Bella a little and make her feel good.

I started the water. While we waited for it to reach a comfortable temperature, I dug out two Advils for Bella. I helped her into the shower and stepped in after her, putting her under the spray so she wouldn't be cold. I worked my fingers through her hair, wetting it thoroughly before adding shampoo.

As I massaged her scalp, Bella closed her eyes and moaned, her arms loosely wrapped around my waist. "Christ, Bella, you're driving me crazy with all the moaning. You're sore; we can't even think about doing that again until tomorrow. Have pity, hmm?"

She giggled. "Sorry. It just feels so good. I love having my hair played with." Her hand crept down, until she was caressing my very hard cock. "There are other things we could think about doing."

"Mmm, Bella. I wanted to do something nice for you. Don't worry about me. Hand me the body wash, please."

While I did want to do something nice for Bella, running my hands all over her wet, naked body wasn't exactly torture for me.

"You're sweet. But while you're washing me, couldn't I just..." She demonstrated by stroking me with her soapy hand.

Well, she did have a point. Who was I to argue?

…

Freshly showered, we slipped between the sheets. Bella's hair was slightly damp and sleek from being brushed. I loved that when I leaned in to run my lips over her neck, she smelled like me now.

I lay on my back, Bella's head on my chest. I wanted to make a declaration, to tell her that I wanted more with her, but not in the afterglow of what we'd done tonight. It would feel cheap and insincere.

Today was Thursday. I would surprise her, take her out on a date—dinner, maybe, and tell her how I felt. There would be no reminder of the tawdry way we'd started out, nothing sexual to throw what I'd tell her into doubt.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?" Her voice was sleepy, but I couldn't let her fall asleep without saying this.

"Um, I wanted to tell you that tonight meant a lot to me. What we did—I don't take it lightly. Thank you." I pressed a kiss to her hair.

Bella was quiet for a moment, and I thought she'd fallen asleep. Then she spoke, her voice low and fervent. "Thank you, Edward. You were patient, and gentle, and tonight was everything I hoped it would be."

She didn't say anything else, just snuggled closer, wrapping her arm around my body. I wondered if I deserved this sweet girl. Even if I didn't, I was too selfish to give her up. I'd do everything I could to be a man who _did_ deserve her.

With a plan in place for telling Bella how I felt, sleep came easier than it had the past few nights. Bella's slow, steady breathing lulled me to sleep, filled with hope that Bella would be a part of my life after this week.

…

**Thanks for reading-hope you liked:) Please leave a review & let me know what you thought of Bella's first time. Edward's starting to wise up, no? ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi again...Just two more chapters after this one.**

**I own lots of stuff, but nothing related to Twilight.**

…

It was barely light out when I woke up Friday morning, Bella pressed up against me. She felt so warm and _right_. I lay there for a while, just enjoying her closeness, listening to her breathe beside me.

As I usually did, I'd woken up with a hard-on. Hardly surprising, considering the beautiful girl lying next to me. Last night was playing on a loop in my head, and as I recalled sinking into Bella's warmth I closed my eyes and began stroking myself. That wasn't really doing it for me, though. I leaned over Bella and kissed and licked her neck, making my way down to her chest. She whimpered and reached out blindly, her hand landing in my hair. Groggily she blinked and peered down at me.

"Morning." Her voice was low and sleepy.

"Morning, beautiful girl." My tongue traced circles around her nipple, and she moaned, fisting my hair tighter.

I was aching to be inside her again, but only if she felt up to it. "I want you, Bella. How are you feeling? Are you sore?"

She tugged on my hair and I moved up, my hand taking over where my tongue had left off.

"I'm okay. I want to feel you inside me again." I'd make sure this time was better for her.

I moved eagerly down her body, settling between her thighs. I sucked the tender skin of her inner thigh into my mouth, wanting to mark her, but not wanting to cause her embarrassment. Here, no one would see it but me.

Bella cried out at the sensation. I kissed the small bruise I'd left, soothing it with my tongue, and moved my attentions to her pussy.

At the first swipe of my tongue Bella bucked her hips up, gasping. I splayed my hand across her belly, trying to keep her still as I licked and sucked. When I slid a finger inside, Bella let out a low moan, and it wasn't long before she came on my hand. Christ, I wanted to feel her squeezing my cock like that.

"Edward...please..." Bella post-orgasm was fucking gorgeous. Her hair was spread out all over the pillow; her eyes were half-closed. Her fingers traced idly around her breast, and I doubted she even knew she was doing it. Her desire was plain, and it sent a thrill through me. I fumbled for a condom, sheathing myself and sliding along Bella's wet slit.

I leaned down to kiss her passionately, feeling like I could devour her. She clutched my hair and moaned into my mouth, and I slid inside her velvety warmth with a deep groan.

She tensed up for a moment, than relaxed as I set a slow, steady pace. When I felt her moving with me, I thrust faster, torn between wanting to make it last and wanting to come. It was exquisite torture.

"Tell me what you need, Bella. I want you to come again."

"Faster, you can move faster. You feel so good," she whispered.

I pulled out for a moment, making Bella's eyes pop open in dismay. I grinned. "I just want to give you a better angle...lift your hips, yeah, there you go." I slid a pillow under her raised hips and pulled Bella's ankles up onto my shoulders. I pushed back inside, my eyes rolling closed with pleasure.

As I thrust into her in the new position, Bella's noises increased in volume. I reached between us to rub her clit and almost immediately felt her contracting around me. I followed soon after, pushing in as far as I could go and cursing as I filled the condom. Kissing one slim ankle, I lowered her legs and flopped onto my back.

"Jesus, Bella." My heart was racing, my breath coming in short pants. "You're incredible. Was that okay? No pain?"

Grinning adorably, she kissed my nose and wrapped her arms around me. "That was so much more than okay. That was..." Her tongue was suddenly in my mouth, and she kissed me with fervor.

God, I wanted this girl. Not just for a night, or a week, or a friends-with-benefits thing...I wanted her, period. All to myself. _Mine._

Soon_._

_**...**_

How had I thought I'd be able to breeze through this week and then go back to the way things were? This might have started out as a desperate ploy to get my attention, but I was the one feeling desperate now. Desperate to know that I could have Bella, outside of this room and in the open, for all to see.

I was determined to do this right, no matter how wrong it had started out. Tomorrow was Saturday. I would get Bella out of the house on some pretense, take her to a romantic dinner and lay my heart on the line. I'd ask her to be mine. _My girl._

Could I tell her all this now? I supposed so, but everything we'd done so far had been done in secret, behind the door of my bedroom, and had a sexual context. I wanted my declaration to be free of all the secrecy and most of all, I wanted there to be no doubt in Bella's mind that I wanted her for herself, not for or because of the sex.

_Ah, the sex_. It was amazing. We'd spent the entire morning in bed, and at eleven o'clock, were just wandering downstairs to forage for food.

I met Jasper in the hall outside my bedroom. He smirked, taking in my appearance from head to toe. It undoubtedly screamed _'I got laid_._'_

"Well, well, it looks like you got your dick wet last night."

I pushed his shoulder hard and glared at him. "Don't be an asshole, Jasper. I hope you treat my sister with more respect than that."

Immediately he looked chastened. "Hey, man, I'm sorry. I'm just breaking your balls. Excuse me for taking pleasure in watching you join the ranks of the whipped and in love."

I sighed. "Yeah, yeah. It's a bit early for that. I know this isn't the best way to start a relationship, but...Christ, she's really something, Jas. I want more with her."

He eyed me seriously. "Don't fuck it up then, Edward. Tell her how you feel. Doesn't matter what it started out as, talk to her and tell her how you feel now. Girls need to hear it, even if you think it's obvious."

I ran my hand through my hair. "Yeah, I'm gonna take her out tomorrow night and talk to her. Sucks that I have to go back to Seattle on Sunday, but we can manage the long-distance thing until summer."

"Alice and I make it work. It's doable. Just make sure you talk to her. We're leaving at noon, right?"

"Yeah." Alice would be driving us to the bus station on Sunday. I was looking forward to going back a lot less than I had been at the beginning of the week.

"There you are." Bella came out of my room, freshly showered and smiling. "I'll see what I can make for lunch."

I stared after her as she went downstairs. "All right, man. Thanks." I gruffly acknowledged Jasper's advice.

"No problem. Bella's worth it, you know? Don't screw this up."

…

Bella made a delicious turkey and cheddar omelet. I could see I'd be hitting the gym a lot more if things worked out between us. It was dreary, rainy day, so we decided on a marathon of The Office in the family room.

Since we'd both seen every episode, we kept up a steady stream of conversation as we watched.

"So, what are you gonna be majoring in next year, Bella?" I was pretty sure Alice had said English, but I wanted to learn about Bella's interests and passions from her.

"English. I love reading, especially the classics. I think I want to teach eventually."

"That's cool. So I'll probably see you around next year. And actually, the next few after that, if I do my graduate work at UDub."

I thought maybe she'd be excited that we'd be at the same school, but Bella gave me a very even look and smiled faintly. "Yeah, maybe. You must be really busy, though, right? And graduate school—that won't leave you much time for a social life. I'm sure I'll be locked away with a book most of the time anyway." She laughed airily.

Her cool attitude took the wind out of my sails. Maybe she wasn't as hung up on me as I'd been led to believe, or she really did want to sow some wild oats once she was away from home. The thought that she'd only wanted me to gain some experience flashed through my mind, and I immediately dismissed it. That wasn't the Bella I'd come to know. I wouldn't let it derail my plans for tomorrow; if anything, I'd be sure to make it plain that my interest in Bella was beyond sexual. I wanted a relationship with her.

As we watched Jim foil Dwight yet again, I laid down across the back of the spacious sectional and patted the space in front of me. Bella hesitated for a moment, then curled up against my chest. I grabbed a throw off the back and spread it over us, plumped a couple of pillow under our heads then wrapped my arm around Bella.

She twisted around to look at me. "If you want to, um, fool around, maybe we should go upstairs..."

Obviously my intentions had been misinterpreted. "I just want to hold you. Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No! No, I just...it's fine." She smiled and settled against me.

I kissed the top of her head and tried not to second-guess myself. Was I that much of a prick that she thought all I wanted was sex? Why did she even want to be with me, if that was the case?

**...**

I wasn't much of a cook, but thanks to my dad I did know how to grill a steak. I could tell Bella was exhausted from our late-night activities, so I suggested she take a nap while I ran to the market. She protested, saying she'd come with me, but I'd been watching her yawn all day and urged her to get some rest. She gave in, insisting that I wake her when I returned.

When I got back I got the grill going and threw some pre-cut vegetables I'd bought in a bowl with marinade. I didn't want Bella to have to cook tonight, and I wanted something a little nicer than takeout.

While I was reading the directions on a package of seasoned rice Bella padded into the kitchen, sleep-rumpled and with an adorable scowl on her face.

"You were supposed to wake me an hour ago." Her hands went to her hips.

Laughing, I pulled her to me and gave her a one-armed hug. "I can handle making dinner for one night. If you'd really wanted to get up you could have set the alarm on your phone."

She smiled and stretched her arms above her head, her shirt riding up and revealing her bellybutton, making me want to lick it.

"It felt good to get some sleep. Thanks for making dinner."

"You don't need to thank me, Bella. Besides, my motives are purely selfish. I want you well-rested and fed for later." I grinned evilly.

Her eyes widened and that beautiful blush crept into her cheeks. She was so easy to tease.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." I pecked her cheek and poured the rice into a pan.

…

After dinner we cleaned up and went back to the family room, where we cuddled together on the sectional. I hadn't turned any lights on, but opened the drapes, and we sat there huddled under a blanket, kissing in the moonlight that shone through the large windows.

I felt an overwhelming affection for Bella; I wanted to be as close as humanly possible. I wanted to be inside her.

"Bella," I murmured in her ear. "Come on, let's go upstairs. I want—I want to make love to you."

I'd never used those words to describe anything I'd done with a woman before. But with Bella, fucking seemed horribly wrong, and sex sounded so cold and mechanical. Making love felt like it fit.

Bella's big brown eyes shimmered as she she took my hand and stood, never looking away from me.

Once inside my room, we kissed and pulled at one another's clothes until we were naked on my bed. My hands roamed the now-familiar landscape of Bella's body, making her breath hitch and her skin break out in goosebumps.

As much as I wanted Bella, I was in no hurry. I savored every moan and whimper I coaxed from her with tender touches. She was all but begging, breathlessly murmuring my name when I finally entered her. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled my body flush to hers, leaving no space between us. I rested my forehead against hers as we moved together, panting into one another's mouths.

Bella came with a quiet gasp, her nails digging into my skin as she tensed and arched up into me. I followed shortly after, moaning as I thrust in deep and buried my face in her neck.

I lay there, wondering if Jasper had been right. Was it possible to love someone after only a week? I'd known Bella for years; had it only taken a handful of days to fall completely for her?

Bella interrupted my musings. "Edward, you need to move. You're heavy."

"Oh, God, I'm sorry. I'm practically crushing you." I rolled to the side, staying close, craving the skin-to-skin contact.

Bella turned towards me and tucked her head under my chin. She seemed unusually quiet.

I stroked her back, causing her to cuddle even closer. "Hey, is everything okay?"

She nodded. "I'm just tired. Hold me?"

That I could do. It seemed like we both needed the physical contact tonight. I suspected the weekend was looming large in both of our minds. I would talk to Bella tomorrow, and hopefully put to rest any doubts about what we were to each other.

I kissed Bella deeply before whispering good night, and we fell asleep wrapped up in one another.

…

Exhausted as I was, I ended up sleeping late. It was past nine when I finally rolled over and realized I was alone. I smiled, smelling bacon cooking. Bella must have gotten up and gone down to make breakfast.

Blearily I threw on some sleep pants and went down to the kitchen. Alice was at the stove. Jasper sat at the breakfast bar, reading a textbook.

"Morning. Where's Bella?"

"Good morning to you, sleepyhead. She left about an hour ago. She's going to the res with Charlie for the weekend to visit friends. Didn't she tell you?" Alice and Jasper exchanged a look.

"Uh, no. She didn't, actually."

I was stunned and embarrassed. My sister and Jasper knew what we'd been doing, and now they knew that Bella had apparently gotten what she wanted from me and taken off.

Alice asked quietly, "Did you guys talk?"

I closed my eyes and fisted my hair, frustrated and pissed both with myself and Bella. "No, not really. I was planning to take her out tonight and talk to her. I wanted to do something special, you know, not just..." _Not just hide in the house and fool around._

"She seemed a little off last night. I tried talking to her about school, and when I mentioned that we'd both be at UDub for the next few years she kind of brushed me off. I thought I made my feelings and intentions pretty clear."

Jasper shook his head, giving me a reproving look.

Alice sighed. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'm not going to say I told you so, but from Bella's perspective, things probably weren't that clear at all. She's never been in a relationship. It was a big deal for her to approach you and ask for what she wanted. She was most likely hoping for some confirmation from you that you were interested in pursuing something with her. You're a big boy, and I'm not going to get involved in this any more. Last bit of advice: talk to her, if she'll listen,and tell her exactly how you feel."

Well, that was easier said than done. Bella was out visiting friends on the reservation, and I was leaving to go back to Seattle tomorrow. This wasn't something I could do over the phone.

I had fucked this up, and I needed to fix it. The question was, how?

**...**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for sticking with me:) We're almost at the end-one more after this.**

**I own nada related to Twilight.**

I had no choice but to get on the bus with Jasper and head back to school, though I hated leaving with things unresolved. I felt almost frantic with the need to talk to Bella, but I needed to see her in person. That was going to be more difficult now that we were both back in school, but I'd find a way.

My first opportunity came two weekends later. Jasper told me he was heading back to Forks to see Alice. Our parents would be gone Friday night, and she was throwing a party. After my Friday morning classes I quickly got what I needed and met Jasper at the bus station. I'd asked him not to mention that I was coming; I wanted to surprise Bella, and part of me feared that she might not want to see me and would stay away if she knew I was on my way to see her.

When we finally got to the house around nine o'clock Friday night there were about a dozen cars parked in the driveway and along the grass. As I got closer to the front door, I could hear music and laughter. I smiled to myself. It was almost certain that Bella would be here. Best case scenario: we'd go upstairs and talk, get everything straightened out and enjoy the rest of tonight and Saturday before I had to go back. Assuming she wanted anything to do with me, of course.

We walked inside and passed through the kitchen and dining room, looking for Alice. As I approached the family room, Alice came around the corner, visibly surprised. "What are you doing home?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking, Alice," I answered drily. "Is Bella here, by any chance?"

Alice shot Jasper anxious look. "Edward, please—ˮ

I pointed towards the family room. "Is she in there?"

Jasper grabbed my arm. "Edward, come on_..._" I shook him off and went in.

It was dark in the family room, the only light coming from the movie on the flatscreen. As my eyes adjusted I noticed several couples huddled on the sectional and overstuffed chairs, some watching the movie, some making out.

I started to make my way out of the room when the long, chestnut-colored hair of a girl wrapped up in the arms of a blond guy caught my eye. I did a double-take at the same time as she whipped her head around in shock.

"Edward?"

I stared, feeling sick. Two weeks. Two fucking weeks since we'd been together and shared so much, and she was able to walk away without a word and move on to someone else? I felt like I was going to throw up.

Fists clenched at my side, I strode out of the room and pounded up the stairs, slamming the door to my room and leaning my head against its cool, hard surface. _"FUCK!"_

I beat my fist against the door, feeling like I was going to hyperventilate from the pain and rage that washed over me. Struggling to calm down, I sat on the bed, taking slow, deep breaths as I attempted to come to terms with what I'd seen.

I ignored the knock on my door. After a minute her muffled voice filtered through. "Edward? Can I come in? Please..."

As hurt and pissed off as I was, I still wanted her. I hated feeling so exposed, like my emotions were written all over my face. I didn't move from the bed, but called out quietly. "It's open."

The knob turned slowly, and Bella poked her head in, looking at me with trepidation.

She walked over to the bed and sat beside me. "Hey."

I looked into her eyes, wishing I could be angry with her, make her feel as shitty as I felt.

"Edward, please talk to me. Are you—are you mad at me?"

I looked her her, incredulous. "Should I be mad? Or should I be happy that you're putting the skills you learned with me to good use?"

She couldn't have looked more hurt if I'd slapped her. I instantly regretted the fleeting satisfaction I'd gotten from the cheap shot.

Her hurt quickly morphed into anger. "I'm not putting anything to good use, Edward. I didn't expect to see you tonight. And even if I had, what would it matter? You fulfilled your obligation to me. You went back to school, and—ˮ

That set me off. "Whoa, whoa—I went back to school? Yeah, I did—after you took off without saying a fucking thing to me. Not even good-bye, thanks for everything. What was I supposed to do, chase after you and make a scene in front of Charlie and the whole reservation? If you'd stuck around, or at least had the decency to tell me you were leaving, you'd have known—ˮ

I stopped, unwilling to lay all my cards on the table if Bella had moved on. What was the point of humiliating myself further?

Her voice was quiet. "I'd have known what?"

_Fuck it_. "You'd have known that I care about you, Bella, and I—I want more with you. That week stopped being just about sex for me after the first day. Getting to really know you, experiencing all that with you...it meant a lot to me. It was never an obligation. I was going to take you out on Saturday and talk to you, tell you...but you left. If all you wanted from me was sex—ˮ

Her voice trembled. "Edward...I didn't only want sex from you. I thought it was all you'd be willing to give, and I was willing to take it. I'd already put myself out there; I didn't want to be completely pathetic and beg you for more. I thought if you wanted more, you'd say so, and when you didn't..."

She whispered the rest, tears brimming in her eyes. "It was so hard, but I decided to leave. I didn't want to drag it out and make things awkward. I thought you'd be glad I wasn't being clingy. I thought you were just being nice, trying to make it good for me."

My brow creased in confusion. "Bella, how could you think I was 'just being nice'? We spent practically every moment together. I held you every night in my bed. You didn't think I'd be upset that you just ran out on me? When we had sex, it wasn't just fucking. My God, if that's what it felt like to you, then I've been doing this wrong. I've never felt this way with anyone before. Ever.ˮ

Her eyes widened in surprise at my admission. "Really?"

I sighed, scrubbing my hands over my face. My voice was a rough whisper. "I've never felt the way I feel about you, Bella. I never expected this. You've been in my life for years, but I feel like I'm just getting to know the real you. I want to spend time with you; I want to take you out on dates. I want _you_, Bella. All of you."

So much for not laying it all out.

Bella's eyes were glistening. She stared at my comforter. "I'm sorry for leaving. I've never had a relationship before. I let my stupid insecurities get the better of me. I'm sorry about tonight, too. I thought I'd forget and feel better if I tried to find someone else, but...I only want you, Edward."

After a moment, she looked up. "We didn't do anything. I—I couldn't."

I blew out a breath, feeling like I'd been holding it forever. "Thank God. I owe you an apology, Bella. First of all, for even agreeing to your crazy fucking idea."

She laughed a little at that. "And second, for not letting you know how I felt sooner. You really did a number on me. I was confused and yeah, scared of what I was feeling for you. I wanted to make it right, take you out properly and tell you how—ˮ

She cut me off, leaning in and pressing her lips to mine. "You did make it right. No more apologies, okay? This might have started out in the worst possible way—thanks to me—but I want to be with you, Edward."

Bella leaned her head on my shoulder. I couldn't be angry with her. We'd both screwed up. I just wanted to move past this and know she was mine.

I swept her into my arms, holding her to me, smelling the familiar fruity scent of her shampoo. "Stay with me tonight?"

"Of course. Let me just tell Alice."

"Oh, uh, Alice knows I'm here. I'm sure she'll figure out that you're with me."

My anger sparked briefly as I remembered the guy in the family room who was probably wondering where the hell Bella had gone. "What about your..._friend_ downstairs?"

"Forget about him. I'm sure he's already moved on to someone else. Right now I only care about you."

That was what I wanted to hear. I brought my mouth to hers, nipping at her lips and teasing her until her tongue was in my mouth and we were both panting and moaning, our hands roaming with increasing urgency. I pulled away, panting. "Bella, if you want to leave this room tonight, let's do it now. I'll take you to dinner, anything you want. Otherwise, I'm locking the door and we're in for the night."

She smiled, cupping my cheek in her hand. "That's fine with me. Can we just get under the covers and...cuddle?"

There was that beautiful blush that I'd missed. Bella wanted to cuddle, and that sounded like a fine plan to me.

…

We held one another and kissed languidly, never allowing ourselves to reach the point of no return. We both needed the physical closeness, but I didn't want to jump right back into sex. I was perfectly content to hold Bella in my arms all night, and I did just that. I woke up Saturday morning with Bella's leg slung over my hip, her face buried in my neck. She scooted back as she woke up, peering up at me with a shy smile.

I went in for a kiss, but she turned her head. "Morning. I should brush my teeth."

I grabbed her around her waist as she tried to sit up. "What if I don't want to let you go? I haven't brushed my teeth yet, either. Kiss me."

She gave me a brief closed-mouth kiss, but I wasn't having it. I straddled her and kissed her deeply, moaning into her mouth as I tilted her head for better access.

"Fuck, I've missed kissing you." I felt desperate to connect with her in every way possible.

"Anything else you've missed?" she asked breathlessly.

"You, Bella, I've missed _you_." I kissed and nipped her neck and shoulder, my hands roaming her sides. I was achingly hard, and I ground myself against her, feeling her damp heat through her boy-shorts.

She took my face in her hands, her big brown eyes shining with affection and desire. "Mmm, I've missed you, too. I want to feel you inside me, Edward."

I sat up, pushing Bella's tank over her breasts and sucking each of her little pink nipples into my mouth in turn. "God, you're beautiful."

She whimpered as I removed her boy-shorts, and then my boxers. I pushed her legs wide apart, settling between them and using my thumbs to spread her open. I groaned at the first taste of her, and used my tongue and fingers to bring her to a slow, lingering climax.

Unable to wait any longer, I crawled over Bella, angling my mouth over hers for a passionate kiss. I fumbled for a condom, rolling it on and lining myself up.

"Oh, Bella..." I gasped as I sank into her. Our bodies were pressed tightly together, our arms wrapped around one another. We moved together unhurriedly, exchanging small kisses and tender murmurs. This was making love. Fucking had its place, but right now I wanted to show Bella the reverence she deserved. I wanted there to be no doubt about what I felt for her.

Bella came quietly, moaning into my ear as she tightened around me. I had been on the edge from the moment I'd entered her, and feeling her pulse around my cock had me following shortly afterwards. We clung to one another, sweaty and panting, sated smiles on our faces.

I pressed my lips to her forehead. "I want everyone to know you're mine. Our friends, our parents...I don't want anyone else, Bella. Just you."

Her lips quirked up in a grin. "Is that your caveman-like way of asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"Yes. But I wouldn't call it caveman-like. That would be..." I grabbed her around her waist and slung her naked body over my shoulder as she screamed and pinched me, "more like this."

I walked us into my bathroom and set her down, turning the shower on. When it was warm I picked her up and carried her in, setting her under the spray.

Her breasts were wet and slippery against my chest. "If I'm yours, then that means you're mine. All mine."

"Mm-hm. All yours. Lucky girl." I smiled down at her, knowing it was me who was the lucky one.

**...**

When we finally appeared downstairs, Alice clapped, a smug smile on her face. Jasper smirked and shook his head.

That horrible awkwardness that followed us every time we left my bedroom had disappeared. Bella was affectionate, and I wasn't averse to a little public display of affection. I hauled her onto my lap and kissed her cheek, grinning when her face turned red.

Alice grinned at our antics. "So are you guys official now?"

Bella nodded, shooting me a shy smile. I squeezed her hand. "Well, we're about to be."

"Aw, mom will be so excited. She's been hoping you would get your head out of your ass and ask Bella out."

"Really." That was a surprise. I guess everyone but me knew that Bella was the perfect girl for me. But I knew now, and I wasn't going to forget it.

…

My parents would be home sometime today, and Alice and Jasper went out to "give us time to catch up." I was happy to have the time alone with Bella. There were things we had to talk about.

Sitting on my bed, eating pizza and not really watching a truly awful sitcom, I broached the subject of telling our parents.

"When do you want to tell Charlie? I mean, the sooner the better I think, don't you? I don't want him to think we've been hiding anything from him, or that I've been corrupting you." I gave Bella a pointed look.

A guilty look crept over her face. "Yeah, I think you're right. I mean, he knows you, but he'll still give you a hard time. And he'll definitely be suspicious that there's been something going on. He's a cop, Edward."

I winced. If I came out of that meeting with my balls intact and Bella by my side, I'd happily endure Charlie's interrogation.

I leaned over to touch my lips to hers. "It'll be fine. I can be a charming bastard when I need to be."

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I can already tell this is going to be awful."

Pulling her close, I tried to reassure her. "No, it won't. I'm just being an ass. Charlie will come around. My parents already love you, so that's a no-brainer. Don't worry, okay?"

"I'll have to face your parents alone though. I'm over here all the time, but you'll be in Seattle. The next time I'm over, do I just go up to your mom and say, 'By the way, Mrs. Cullen, I'm dating your son?'" Bella looked really perturbed. I laughed.

"How about if we tell them today? Alice said they'll be home this afternoon. They won't make a big deal out of it."

Bella seemed to feel a little better after we got that discussion out of the way. There was one other issue I wanted to bring up though.

"So, Bella...since we'll be seeing each other pretty regularly, have you thought about, um, birth control? I mean, condoms are okay, but they're not one hundred percent effective and—ˮ I stopped short at the sight of Bella clearly trying to hold back laughter. Here I was, trying to do the right thing, and she laughs at me? Hmph.

"What is so funny, hmm?"

Bella's face was turning red, and she finally gave up and just guffawed in my face. Slightly annoyed, I raised my eyebrow, waiting to be let in on the joke.

"Oh, God...I'm sorry, Edward, it just seemed so funny to me. We need birth control because '_we'll be seeing each other pretty regularly'? '_Seeing each other' as a euphemism for sex? From you? You've never had trouble being frank before. Don't you mean—ˮ she leaned in to whisper in my ear—"_we'll be screwing each other's brains out at every opportunity_, so we should have protection?"

She sat back and smiled, batting her eyes innocently. She knew exactly what her dirty mouth would do to me. I pounced on her, pinning her underneath me so she could feel what she'd done.

"Maybe I was trying to be a little tactful. We'll continue this discussion a little later. You're getting very cheeky, Bella. I might have to reconsider my stance on spanking."

She squealed and writhed under me, her breathless laughter soon turning to moans.

…

My parents came home late in the afternoon. They were surprised to find me at home; even more so to see me walk out holding Bella's hand. As expected, they were happy to hear that Bella and I were together. Mom hugged Bella tightly, telling her how happy she was that 'my oblivious son finally got his act together', and sternly admonished me to be good to Bella.

Telling Charlie didn't go quite as smoothly. Bella had been right; his cop's instincts told him there was more to the story, but he didn't say much. He warned me about treating his little girl right and not hurting her, all while running his hand lovingly over the highly polished wood of his gun cabinet. I respected him for looking out for Bella, and told him I had every intention of treating her right. He grunted and nodded, giving his tacit approval.

With my parents home, having Bella in my bed tonight was out of the question. But that was okay. We had dinner with my parents and Alice, then went up to my room for a little while.

We were lying on my bed, kissing and touching, just enjoying being with one another. Bella seemed quiet tonight. I hoped she wasn't doubting us. "What's on your mind, beautiful?"

She fingered the hair at the nape of my neck. "It's going to suck with you back at UDub. We won't be able to see each other for a while."

This was true. School didn't end for another two and a half months. "It's just for a couple of months, Bella. We'll have the whole summer together, and next fall we'll both be at UDub. No parents, you can spend the night at my apartment..." I pulled Bella flush against me, laying big, smacking kisses all over her neck and face, making her gasp and giggle.

"Don't worry about that, okay? We'll call, text, even Skype if you want—ˮ I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, making her blush—"and I'll try to get home one or two weekends to break it up a little. I'll miss you, too, you know."

She smiled at that. "I know. It's just been so nice having you to myself."

I wrapped her in my arms and gently pressed my lips to hers, feeling content. "It's only going to get better. We might not have started out in the best of ways, but this is just the beginning. We have so much to look forward to."

**...**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Here it is—the last chapter, and it turned out quite a bit longer than the rest...oops:) Hope you enjoy.**

**I own nothing Twilight-related, just a dirty mind and overactive imagination.**

**...**

The buzzer sounded, and Jasper and I nearly collided as we both scrambled to answer the door. He waved me on with a flourish. "Go on, open it. God knows you've been a cranky bitch without her. I hope you get it out of your system this weekend."

I rolled my eyes. It had been over a month since I'd last seen Bella and we'd become official. It was hard, harder than I thought it would be, probably because we had barely gotten started before we were separated again. I didn't know how Jasper and Alice did it, but long-distance relationships sucked.

I flung open the door, barely acknowledging my sister as I picked up Bella and hugged her tight. God, she felt good. We kissed; long, slow, wet kisses that were going to end up with us spending the rest of the day in my bed if we didn't stop. Reluctantly I set her down, grinning like an idiot.

Jasper had his arm around Alice, both of them smiling and shaking their heads. "Hello to you, too, Edward."

I kissed Alice's cheek, murmuring "thank you," in her ear. She was the one who'd convinced Charlie to let Bella drive to Seattle with her for a visit. It was Memorial Day weekend, and I would have Bella all to myself for two whole days. Well, mostly to myself. I couldn't keep her locked up in my room, and I did want to introduce her to my friends.

"Are you hungry? I figured we'd go get some pizzas at Sal's later. Em and Rose want to meet up, and we'll probably see some other people as well. I want you to meet my friends."

Bella smiled. Taking my hand, she played with my fingers. "I can wait to eat. Can we just...catch up a little before we go out?"

I smirked at her euphemism. I was pretty sure she didn't want to hear how my classes had been going. Not right now, at least. "Sure. Jas, you guys are going with us later, right? Why don't we meet at Sal's at eight?"

Jasper looked over from where he and Alice were cuddled on the couch, talking and laughing. Their relationship was established, comfortable. Obviously they weren't feeling the same kind of urgency that Bella and I were feeling. "Yeah, man. Eight's good."

I took Bella's hand and led her to my room. This was her first time in the apartment Jasper and I shared, but I would give her the tour later. Right now, we had about an hour and a half to 'catch up'.

As soon as the door closed behind us, I had her pressed up against it, hungrily pressing my mouth to hers and pushing my tongue inside, groaning at the taste of her. Her hands moved from my waist down to my ass and she pulled me into her. I smiled to myself. My girl was getting bolder.

"Mmm, I missed you, Bella. Less than a month left, then we have the whole summer ahead of us." I stepped back, and sat on the bed. "So...what do you feel like doing?"

She leaned her head on my shoulder and rubbed my chest. "I missed you so much. I just want to crawl in bed with you and stay there until I have to go back."

Only my girl could say something like that and endear herself to me even more than she already was, while at the same time making me incredibly horny. I would love nothing more than to spend all weekend in bed with Bella, but I did want to take her out and show the world what a lucky bastard I was. If that made me an asshole, so be it. I was crazy about Bella and didn't care who knew it.

"While that sounds very tempting, I think we should get out a little and be social. You're not some booty call, Bella; you're my girlfriend, and I want to treat you right. How about if we, ah, catch up a little now and save the rest for later?"

She was already pulling her henley over her head. "Okay, but ... I'm going to go crazy if you don't touch me soon."

I helped her off with her bra, kneading her breast as I sucked on her neck. "I think I can help take the edge off until after dinner."

Warning her to be quiet, I pulled her down with me onto the bed, intent on making the best use of the time allotted to us.

…

Bella and I had talked just about every night after I went back to Seattle. We'd Skyped a few times too, but just so that we could see one another. There were no sexy Skype sessions; Bella wasn't comfortable with the idea of putting on a show, and that was fine.

I owed Alice a huge favor for arranging this trip and smoothing everything over with Charlie. It wasn't that he disliked me; he was okay with our relationship, but Bella was still his little girl, and the idea of her spending the weekend in her boyfriend's apartment didn't sit well with him. Alice had assured him that this would be a great opportunity for Bella and her to become familiar with the UDub campus and its surroundings, since they'd both be starting college here in the fall. He grudgingly admitted that this was true. And now I had my girl with me for two days.

Sal's was a local favorite because the pizza was delicious and the beer was cheap. It was always packed on weekends, and tonight was no different. Emmett and Rose had gotten a booth for us in the back, and as we approached he stood up to hug Bella and Alice. "Hey, Bella! How'd you get Charlie to let you come and stay with this degenerate?"

I rolled my eyes. Alice calmly put Emmett in his place. "I talked to him. He loves me. Bella's a big girl—Charlie has to accept that she'll be living on her own pretty soon."

Emmett snickered. "Yeah, shacking up with your brother. Sorry," he added, noticing my unamused expression.

"So," Rose cut in, "shall we order?" We put in our order for a couple of pies, and then Em and I got up to get some beers.

"Don't make Bella uncomfortable, Em. I don't care what stupid shit you say to me, but lay off her."

His face fell. "Aw, I didn't mean to—ˮ

"I know. It's cool. Just give it a rest, yeah?" Emmett was a great guy, but had an obnoxious sense of humor. It was like he couldn't help himself. Rose was about the only person who could keep him in line.

Five minutes after we got back to the table our food came, and we talked and laughed as we ate. Bella and Alice couldn't drink, of course, and Rose refrained as well. Emmett and Jasper got up to get more beer.

"What about you, Edward? Maybe you should take it easy—you don't want to disappoint your girl later." Emmett winked at Bella, laughing with Jasper as they walked away.

Rose sighed and rolled her eyes. "I love him, but he can be such a jackass. Ignore him, Bella."

Bella laughed. "I'm used to it. I grew up around these guys. I know he's harmless."

When we were finished eating, I introduced Bella to a few people I knew who'd come in after us. She seemed genuinely happy to meet everyone, and I was glad she fit in so well with my friends.

We paid the bill, and got ready to leave. Em, Rose, Alice and Jasper had decided to check out a party that Emmett had heard about. Bella and I declined, wanting some time alone. Emmett, of course, couldn't resist a catcall as we parted ways. "Make sure he takes care of you, Bella!"

She just laughed and waved him off.

We held hands as we walked back to the apartment, quiet for the most part. Every so often I'd look at Bella and catch her already looking my way, smiling.

Once inside, I hugged her to me, sighing in contentment. "That was fun, but it's nice to be here by ourselves, without Emmett's running commentary."

"Yeah." Bella gazed up at me, running her hand over my stubbled cheek. "I like it when you don't shave."

"Well, I'll have to remember that." I smirked, making her blush. "Come on, pretty girl. Let's take advantage of Jasper and Alice not being here."

In my room we undressed down to our underwear. Bella was sitting up against the headboard, and I sat beside her, turning her face to mine and pressing my lips to hers. I ran my hand down her smooth thigh, prompting her to part her legs. "Tell me what you want me to do to you."

Bella froze, and I continued stroking her legs. I kissed up to her ear, murmuring, "Don't be shy. Talk to me."

I could feel goosebumps rise under my fingers. "T—touch me, Edward. Please."

"I am touching you. Do you mean—ˮ I dragged my fingers up, barely brushing them over her pussy—" touch you _here_?"

She jumped, releasing a breathy moan. "Yes, there...everywhere."

I kissed her in earnest then, pulling her to lie down as I slid her boy-shorts down her legs. She was wet, and I ran two fingers between her lips before pushing them inside. Bella gasped, arching off the bed as I rubbed my fingers over her g-spot. I'd never heard her be so vocal; she moaned, cried out to God and called my name, panting. Listening to her had me harder than stone.

"Christ, Bella, I want to be inside you." I reached over to dig through my nightstand for a condom, but Bella stopped me with her hand on my arm.

"We don't need that, unless you really want it. I got the shot a couple of weeks ago."

Surprised, I confirmed, "Yeah? Are you sure, Bella? I mean, I'm clean; I'd never put you at risk."

"I'm sure."

"Thank you." I captured Bella's lips in a long, slow kiss as I crawled over her. The thought of being inside her with no barrier had me feeling like I could come already. Groaning, I pushed inside, amazed at how slick and hot she felt. I waited for a moment before I began moving, trying to acclimate to the wet warmth that surrounded me. Making love to Bella bare was a whole new experience. I moaned as I felt my balls tighten, and reached between us to rub Bella's clit. She'd barely come when I felt the tingling in my groin, and I released inside her.

I burrowed my face into her hair, breathing hard. After a moment I pulled back, looking into her eyes. "That wasn't my most impressive performance, but Christ, Bella—that was amazing. Could you feel the difference?"

Turning red, she nuzzled into my shoulder as she replied. "I liked knowing it was _you_ I was feeling. And I felt it when you came."

I rolled onto my side, wrapping my arm around her waist. "I wish you'd told me you were going to get on birth control. I would've gone with you. And you shouldn't have to pay for it—ˮ

"It's okay, Edward. Alice went with me to Planned Parenthood. It wasn't expensive. You got me thinking about it, and besides not having to bother with condoms all the time, it _is _more reliable. Plus, I'll probably have fewer, um, periods."

"You can talk to me about this stuff, you know? Birth control, periods, whatever."

She looked at me dubiously. "You want to talk about my period?"

"Well...I want to talk about anything that concerns _us_. So...yeah."

She flashed a soft smile. "Okay, um, thanks. Now, I have to run to the bathroom..." The look on her face as she stood was priceless.

"Yeah, the downside of not using condoms." We laughed, and she went to clean up. I'd used condoms with every other woman I'd been with. I'd never had any desire to discuss birth control or worse, periods. But for Bella, I would do it.

We cuddled and kissed, making plans for the next two days. Bella wanted to keep it low-key, and I agreed. More than anything we wanted to enjoy each other's company. She yawned, and I realized it was almost two o'clock in the morning. "Sleep, baby. I l—I'll see you in the morning."

Well, that was a surprise. The L word had almost just popped out of my mouth. I knew my feelings for Bella had grown, even though we'd been apart. In a way, the separation had allowed us to learn about one another and grow closer—unable to indulge in the physical aspect of our relationship, we spent hours talking on the phone or chatting online. Having her here now, I knew what I was feeling. I just wasn't sure if it was too early to express it.

…

Saturday morning was cool and rainy, validating our decision to stay in. I woke up wrapped around Bella, my hard-on nestled against her ass. I knew she was awake when I felt her wriggling back on me. I rolled over onto my back and she made a small sound of displeasure.

"Oh, sorry, did you want something?" I grinned as her cheeks grew pink and her eyebrows drew together.

"I want you," she whispered, reaching for my cock.

"You've got me. Come here." I patted my thighs. She looked at me questioningly. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Good. I won't ask you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. Here, climb on top of me." Warily she straddled my thighs. I reached up and palmed her breast, rolling the nipple between my fingers. Her eyes fluttered closed and she automatically rolled her hips, making me groan.

"Fuck, that's it. I want to watch you ride me, pretty girl." Having Bella on top had been one of my most frequent shower fantasies.

Her eyelids were heavy and her breathing was starting to pick up. "Lift up—ˮ She did and I held myself in one hand, the other on her hip as she lowered herself down. "Go slow. Tell me if it's uncomfortable, okay?"

Bella gasped as she took me in. "It feels so deep this way."

"I know, baby. It'll feel really good for you..." Holding her hips, I helped her find a rhythm as she rocked back and forth. Her little moans and mewls, coupled with the visual of her, breasts bouncing as she rode me, had me barreling towards my orgasm in no time. Suddenly Bella stilled and cried out, and I thrust up into her with a loud groan.

She collapsed onto my chest, panting. "Oh, my God..."

"Christ, you looked sexy, Bella. I think that's my new favorite position."

She giggled and hid her face against my chest. "Hey, don't be embarrassed."

She played with the hair on my chest, running her finger around my nipple. I hissed, and she looked up in surprise. "Does that feel good for you, too?"

Smirking, I replied, "Why don't you find out for yourself?"

She gave my nipple a small pinch, then leaned down and ran her tongue over it, making me gasp. "Fuck, Bella. Does that answer your question?"

She laughed. "I want to know what you like, what makes you feel good, like you do for me."

I pulled her mouth to mine, kissing her hard. "You do make me feel good, Bella. I love everything we do together. If there's something you're curious about or want to try, don't be embarrassed, just talk to me, okay? Right now, though, we should get up."

We wandered out into the living room at eleven o'clock. Alice and Jasper were planning on staying in today, too. We were trying to figure out what to do on a chilly, rainy Saturday when Alice decided that she and Bella should spend the day baking.

They left to go to the store to buy the ingredients they needed. As soon as the door clicked shut Jasper was all over me.

"So? Is it still good?"

Trying to ignore him, I picked up a magazine, leafing through it with feigned interest. "What?"

He rolled his eyes. "Bella. Are things with her, you know, _good?"_

"If you're referring to the sex, it's none of your damned business. Everything else, though, is fucking amazing. Better than ever, in fact. The more I get to know her, the more I lo—ˮ I stopped myself, but it was too late.

"Holy shit! You're in love with her. Damn, I wish I could gloat about what a pussy-whipped bastard you've become, but I actually like Bella. She's good for you, man. I'm happy for you." Jasper was a good guy, a good friend. We loved to give one another shit, but we were always there for one another.

"Yeah, she is good for me. And I want to be good for her. I didn't see her coming, that's for sure." Actually, I had, and had done everything I could to avoid her. Until very recently, Bella hadn't even been a possibility for me. I never would have imagined I'd be sitting here, confessing my love for her.

"Good for you. Join the club—your sister's got me by the balls, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

I winced at his choice of words. "Okay, I don't need to hear about my sister and your balls. We all know she keeps them in her purse." With a smirk, I sauntered away, knowing that, as much as I liked to harass Jasper, Bella owned me just as surely as my sister owned him, and I was just fine with it.

**...**

The entire apartment smelled like heaven. Bella and Alice had made chocolate chip cookies and, of course, brownies.

I'd been shooed out of the kitchen by Alice after I'd wrapped Bella in a hug that had gotten a little out of control, so Jasper and I played video games while our girls baked and chatted. We decided on Indian for dinner, and helped clean up the kitchen while we waited for it to be delivered.

"Wow, Bella. You've really domesticated my brother. I never thought I'd see Edward voluntarily wash a dish."

Bella giggled. "He's worried he won't get any brownies if he doesn't help out."

"You wouldn't withhold brownies." I smirked as I flicked the dish towel at her ass.

"Okay, you two can handle the rest of the cleanup." Alice rolled her eyes and dragged Jasper out of the kitchen.

We ate dinner on the floor in the living room, flipping through the channels on the t.v. and mocking the godawful crap that was on. That got old fast, and Alice and Jasper soon bid us goodnight.

"Storage wars? Hoarders? I'm turning in. Come on, Jas." Alice stood, yawning even though it was only nine o'clock.

Alone in the living room, we curled up on the couch, halfheartedly looking for something worth watching and kissing in between channels. It didn't take long for kissing to turn into groping, at which point I turned off the t.v. and we headed to my room.

We made love, and it was slower and less urgent than this morning, but still incredible. I wanted to savor every inch of her skin, every touch and kiss and sound she made so I would have them when she left.

Afterwards we moved into position without a word, Bella's back to my chest, my nose in Bella's soft, fragrant hair. I murmured in her ear. "You smell good."

In the dim light I could just make out her eyes, her cheek curving up as she smiled. "I love the way you smell. Like soap, and..._you_. I'm glad that you don't wear cologne or aftershave."

We were quiet, then in a barely audible whisper she spoke. "I really like the way you smell after we've...um...made love. A little sweaty, but not gross sweaty, and like you, and me...like us."

I was turned on, and disarmed, and so crazy about her. Words failed me, so I simply tightened my arms around her. Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, I whispered good-night.

…

Sunday turned out to be beautiful—sunny and dry, with only a chance of rain later in the day. No visit to Seattle would be complete without seeing Pike Place, so after breakfast we got in the car and spent several hours wandering around, exploring the many stalls and shops. In a little jewelry shop selling items made by local craftspeople, Bella oohed and aahed over a silver necklace with a moonstone pendant, and when she wandered away, I bought it and slipped it into my pocket. She and Alice sampled homemade pasta at one stall, and decided that it, along with some vegetables, would be tonight's dinner.

On the drive home, Bella and Alice chattered away, planning dinner. "Why don't you invite Emmett and Rosalie over tonight?"

I raised my eyebrow, smirking. "Really? You didn't get enough of his sense of humor Friday night?"

Bella just laughed. "His questionable sense of humor doesn't bother me. And I like Rose."

"Okay, fine by me. Dinner for six, then. Did we buy enough stuff?"

"We're fine. Why don't you tell them to come around six? That should give us plenty of time to get everything ready."

Jasper and I were put to work washing and chopping vegetables. The girls had decided on pasta primavera and salad.

"Should I run out for wine?" Jasper paused in his chopping.

Bella caught my eye. "If you want wine or beer, go ahead, Edward. It doesn't bother me."

I supposed Alice and Bella could drink, since we were home; but I didn't really need it, and they didn't seem to care one way or the other. "Nah, I'm not in the mood. Plus I won't have to listen to Emmett warning me about disappointing you."

Bella giggled, and we finished up with time to spare. Soon an obnoxious pounding on the door signaled Emmett and Rose's arrival.

Emmett was his usual boisterous self throughout dinner, though he'd toned down the teasing. He complimented Bella and Alice on dinner with exaggerated moans that had Rose slapping his arm and telling him to knock it off.

As we sat in the living room after dinner, I noticed Emmett's eyes constantly darting from me to Bella. Finally I caught his eye and arched a brow in question.

"Sorry, man. It's just..._nice_ to see you like this, all tame and being social. Bella must be something special; you never let any of the other ones out of the bedroom, let alone invited them to hang with us."

There was dead silence for a moment while I glared daggers at Emmett. Bella looked at the ground.

"Bella _is_ something special, and that's exactly why I never brought anyone around before. Don't make it sound like something it wasn't." I hated that my past might make Bella uncomfortable. I squeezed her hand, and she flashed a smile. Cupping her cheek, I kissed her, not caring that my sister and friends were right there. She was blushing when I pulled away.

"No offense meant, Bella. He's different with you—good different." Emmett winked. You couldn't stay made at him, no matter what he said or did. He really was harmless, if a bit thoughtless at times.

After a bit more conversation, I was getting antsy to be alone with Bella. I moved her onto my lap, and couldn't keep myself from touching her. Nothing inappropriate, although my fingers were itching to undress her and feel her bare skin.

"All right, Rose, I think it's time for us to head out. Looks like Edward's getting ready to drag Bella into his cave by her hair." Bella giggled. Aside from the bit about dragging her by her hair, Emmett wasn't too far off—I really was starting to feel desperate for Bella, desperate to have her all to myself.

We said goodnight, and Alice and Jasper went his room shortly after, leaving Bella and me cuddled on the couch. We sat quietly for a few minutes, just holding one another, but I wanted to make something clear. "Emmett exaggerates. He likes to make it sound like I was this big man-whore, but it's not true. You know I've been with others, but none of them were like you, Bella. None of them meant what you mean to me."

There was no anger or distrust in her face. "I know that. You don't have to get so wound up every time Em says something dumb, Edward. I'm not that fragile, and I'm not stupid. If I want to know something about your past, I'll ask you. To me, it's just that—the past. I don't want to dwell on it."

I kissed her in response, and we settled into one another, just enjoying the closeness. Bella's hand creeping up my thigh awoke other desires, and when our kissing and touching became more intense, we stumbled into my room, pulling off clothing as we went.

"You're a little quiet tonight. Everything okay?" She stroked my chest, looking up at me with concern.

"Just bummed that the weekend's almost over, I guess."

"Well, like you said, just a few more weeks until summer." She smiled and I couldn't help but return it.

"Yeah. And you're here now, so..." I nuzzled my face into her neck, sucking at her skin, but not hard enough to leave a mark. She giggled and pushed me away.

"You're rejecting me on our last night together?" I ran my hand down her side and around to cup her pert little ass.

"No, of course not. It tickles, when you suck on my neck like that."

I smirked. "Tickles? Or tingles?" I drew my fingers between her legs, feeling how wet she was. "Feels to me like you liked it." She moaned, spreading her legs further apart, giving me more room to play.

I pumped my fingers into her a few times, then withdrew them, settling on top of her and pushing inside with a sigh. Holding myself up on my elbows I moved in long, slow strokes, wishing I could stay inside her all night.

"Come closer—I want to feel your weight on me." Bella pushed down on my back, and I pressed close to her, my hips grinding into her, making her moan. She wrapped her legs around my back and I sped up, thrusting as hard and as deep as I could.

There was no space between our bodies; sex felt even more intimate with every inch of my skin touching hers. When her breath was coming in harsh pants, I pounded into her harder and faster than I ever had before. I could feel her whole body tense up as her orgasm shot through her, and with a strangled shout I came right after.

I lay on my back, sweaty and exhausted. Bella ran her fingers up and down, from my chest to my belly.

"I like this." She brushed her fingers through my happy trail, making me shiver.

"Oh, yeah? What else do you like?"

"This—ˮ her fingers traced the V of muscle that led down to my cock—"and _this_." Blushing, she dragged a finger down my shaft.

"Oh, I see. You only want me for my body." I loved teasing Bella, seeing her pink-cheeked and flustered.

With a soft smile, she shook her head. "Nope. I want all of you."

Suddenly I had an overpowering urge to tell her how I felt about her, to drive the point home so she would never doubt me again. I'd fucked up once by second-guessing myself; I wouldn't do it again.

"You've got me, for better or for worse. I love you, Bella." I went in for a kiss but she held my face in her hands, pinning me with her gaze.

"Do you mean it?"

"Of course I do. I love you, Bella. My feelings for you...I know it's fast, but—ˮ

Still holding me, she placed a sweet kiss on my lips. "I love you too, Edward. I think I have for a long time. Call it a crush, infatuation, or whatever, but I knew you were all I wanted."

"I'm glad you waited for me." I whispered my reply against her lips. As I thought about how long Bella had wanted me, all the times I avoided her, I felt ashamed, even though she really had been off-limits to me. I couldn't imagine having feelings for someone for such a long time with no reciprocation. "I'm sorry it took so long, you know, for me—ˮ

Bella shook her head. "No, Edward. Don't be sorry. Nothing could have happened before, I get that. If it had, it wouldn't have worked out, and..." she glanced at me, smiling, "we couldn't have had what we have now."

"Smart girl. Love you." I captured her lips in a slow kiss, and held her close as we drifted off.

…

I woke the next morning with a smile, remembering the declarations we'd made the night before. Bella stirred next to me, her eyes opening slowly and locking on mine as she murmured a sleepy " 'morning."

After a moment her eyes popped open, and she groaned. "Shit."

"What's wrong?"

She made a face. "It's Monday." Her arms tightened around me, as if she could freeze time by holding on to me.

"Just a few more weeks and I'll be home for the summer. After that we'll both be coming back here in the fall. Mmm, I can't wait to have you in my bed again...you can stay over on weekends, during the week if you want..." I kissed up her neck and behind her ear, making her gasp and squirm.

She giggled. "Charlie is paying for me to be in the dorms, you know. I should at least be there some of the time."

"Oh, you will be. We'll both be pretty busy during the week, but I want you here as often as possible."

"Me too." She walked her fingers down my chest, past my navel and into my happy trail. I grasped her wrist.

"Bella, as much as I want to, you're leaving in a few hours. Jasper and I want to take you and Alice out to brunch."

She made an exaggerated pouty face, then laughed. "Okay. Sounds like fun." With a quick kiss she was up and heading for the bathroom. I stepped into a pair of boxers and followed her.

"Do you mind if I shave while you shower?"

With an expression of mock outrage, she shook her head. "I do mind, very much. No shaving."

"Do you really want to walk into a nice restaurant with a boyfriend who looks—ˮ

"—sexy as hell? Yes, that's exactly what I want. I like the scruff." She stroked my cheeks and chin. "Please?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. As if I could say no. "Okay, okay." Inspiration struck, and I bent to whisper in her ear. "Since you like my scruff so much, I bet you'll love feeling it here." I petted between her legs, making her eyes slide closed. She reached for my cock and I slipped out of her grasp, grinning. "We have reservations in an hour."

"That was mean, Edward." I turned to reply and a towel hit me in the face. Laughing, I returned to my room to get dressed.

Brunch was excellent. The four of us talked about summer and made some plans to go out together. Jasper had the idea to rent a place for a long weekend, which sounded like and excellent plan to me. It would be great to be home, but alone time with Bella, especially overnight, would be hard to come by with my parents and Charlie around.

Once we got back to the apartment we only had half an hour or so until Alice and Bella had to head home. In my room Bella slipped her arms around my neck. "Well, I guess this is it until school's out." She smiled expectantly, her face upturned for a kiss.

I grinned. "Lie down."

Bella looked at me like I'd lost my mind. "What? We don't have time—ˮ

I kissed her lips, rubbing my scruff along her chin and neck. "Lie down."

"Ooh...ˮ She remembered. If her sounds were any indication, she did indeed like my scruff there. Very much, in fact.

…

Saying good-bye sucked, even if it was only for a few weeks. Before we left my room I hugged her to me, pressing kisses to her hair. "I have something for you."

She looked up, curious. "Is that a double entendre, or—?"

Laughing, I went to my dresser and grabbed the little silk bag that contained her necklace. "No, it's not. I actually have something for you, and it's not in my pants." I sat on the edge of the bed, and she perched on my knee.

She looked almost wary, as though she thought there might be a snake or something equally objectionable inside. She opened the bag and pulled out the necklace, gasping. "Edward...I...thank you."

She had that adoring look in her eyes again, the one that made me determined to deserve her love and adoration. To be everything she thought I was and more. Her hands were shaking a little, and I took the necklace from her and clasped it around her neck. "You're welcome. There—beautiful."

"You're going to make me cry! And I was not going to cry. But this is the first thing that anyone...I mean, a _boyfriend_...has given me."

"Good. I like that. Think of me when you're wearing it." I place a gentle kiss on her lips. "You should get going, I guess. Alice is probably waiting."

"Yeah..." She was as reluctant as I was to say goodbye. "I love you. I'll miss you, even though I know I'll see you soon."

"I love you and I'll miss you, too." I leaned down, nuzzling and whispering. "And maybe this time I can get you to try Skype sex?"

"Edward! You ruined the moment." She laid her head on my chest, laughing.

Finally we made it outside, where Alice and Jasper were waiting patiently. After another round of kisses and goodbyes, they were headed back to Forks. Jasper clapped me on the back in solidarity.

Just like that first week, I was bubbling over with emotions. Not confusion, or fear, or guilt this time, but love, and happiness, and wonder that I'd found this amazing girl who'd been right under my nose all along.

I thought about firsts, and how Bella had shared so many of hers with me. She might not have been my first in the way that I had been hers, but she was the most important first of all—the first woman I loved. And it was easy to imagine her being the last.

…

**Aaand that's it. For now;) I've had so much fun writing this and reading your lovely reviews, I might have to write a futuretake (or two...)-but it won't be until after the holidays.**

**Thank you for your reviews—I've loved reading them. Leave another? Or your first?**

**If you'd like to read more from me, please put me on author alert. I have a wip, Possibilities (ExBxC), that I'll be concentrating on, as well as a couple of contest entries. And lots more ideas:)**


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